Learning To Fly
by jenorama
Summary: It's Teddy's senior year and his ideas about his future clash with Harry's ideas for him. A visit from a past acquaintance complicates matters. Occurs after The Selkie's Gift.
1. Chapter 1

"Heads up, T-man!" Duncan shouted as he streaked past to intercept a Bludger that was heading straight for Teddy, swatting it away with a grunt.

"Thanks!" Teddy shouted back as he pulled up on the stick of his broom, gaining altitude with stomach-lurching speed. Duncan waved his bat in response, already speeding toward the Bludger now bent on smashing Kelly Taylor to bits. Catching sight of the iron ball on a collision course for her, Kelly panicked, dumping the Quaffle in her hands and Teddy shook his head, quickly changing his climb into a dive, narrowly snatching it away from Jordan Armstrong an instant before it hit the ground and went out of play.

"Too slow, Armstrong!" Teddy crowed as he streaked past, pushing his broom to the limit as he bore down on their second-string Keeper, Joshua Mendoza. Narrowing his eyes, he grinned as Josh's eyes widened, real fear that Teddy would plow straight into him clearly apparent. _And that's why you're second string,_ he thought when the Keeper lost the battle of wills and dodged out of the way, giving Teddy a clear shot at the goal.

A bell-like gong sounded, practically making Teddy's teeth rattle and he gave a shout, executing a perfect backwards flip in midair as the coach called an end to practice. Landing lightly on the ground, he high-fived Kelly and bashed forearms with Duncan. Baring his teeth at the hapless Josh, he shook his head. "You need to learn to stand your ground, man. Maria's graduating and then you're it."

Josh looked down at the grass. "I know," he mumbled, kicking a tuft of grass. "You're so fucking scary though!"

"So're Mission Hills, only they won't pull up at the last second," Teddy said, patting the second-string Keeper on his shoulder. The look he got in return indicated that Josh wasn't sure whether Teddy actually would, either.

"All right, good practice," Coach Parker said as he landed with a thump. "Taylor, trust your Beaters or get out of the way, don't just dump the Quaffle, all right? The Bludger won't follow the Quaffle. Sutton, good hustle, but you need to plan your shots better. You're the reason Taylor panicked." Duncan turned pink but accepted the criticism for what it was. He knew he had a tendency to not think ahead when things heated up.

"Mendoza, you need to work on your confidence. You're bigger than Lupin—you could have taken him out. I need you to be more aggressive. Cruz is—"

"Graduating, yes, I've already been told," Josh said, cutting his eyes at Teddy.

"Well, I'm telling you again. I don't need a Keeper that hides behind the goals." The coach looked at the rest of the group, his eyes falling on Teddy. "Lupin," he barked, making him stand up straighter, "you need to keep a lid on the showboating. That dive was dangerous and you nearly took Armstrong with you."

"But coach—" Teddy began, mouth falling open in dismay when the expected praise didn't materialize.

"Enough. Pull that stunt again in a live game and I'll see you benched."

Teddy felt a flush of heat wash over him at the threat of benching. "What was I supposed to do? Let it hit the ground and go dead?"

"Yes. Force a restart and get it back the smart way, not the reckless way." Teddy was about to protest again, but the coach gave him a quelling look and he subsided, stewing silently as Coach Parker critiqued the rest of the team.

 _Showboating. Like he's one to talk. He's the biggest showboat here,_ he thought mutinously as Coach Parker gave them a pep talk for their upcoming game against their southern California rival, Mission Hills.

"It's the last game before Winter Break! We've got a strong team and they're coming off a couple of losses, so they're ripe for the picking! Play like you did today against each other and we'll roll right through them!" He stood there with his hands on his hips like a general surveying his soldiers. "Now go get cleaned up!" he barked, sending them all scrambling toward the showers.

As they walked toward the locker rooms, Maria Cruz put her hand on his shoulder. "That was an awesome move, Teddy."

"Yeah, man! Coach Parker doesn't know what he's talking about," Duncan said, stoutly supporting his best friend.

"I thought you were going to hit the ground," Kelly said shyly and Teddy felt the heat come to his face again. She was a pretty blonde Junior that he'd recently become aware of and he was still trying to figure out how to ask her to the winter formal.

"I knew I'd get out of that dive. I just had to beat Jordan to the Quaffle, didn't I?" he said confidently, glancing over at his fellow Chaser.

Jordan shook his head. "You're crazy, Lupin."

Teddy grinned and turned his hair bright blue, looking over to see if Kelly had noticed. She caught him at it and rolled her eyes, causing him to shrug and turn it purple. "Let me know when I've got your favorite color," he said, nudging her with his shoulder. She giggled and pushed him away, making him bounce off of Duncan. The two boys quickly started a shoving match, and soon the entire team were laughing and running down the hall.

"No running in the halls!" called an authoritative voice and the group stumbled to a stop, nearly running into Harry Potter, still in his running gear.

"Sorry, Harry," Teddy said, earning a raised eyebrow from his godfather. They had an informal agreement that he would address him as "Mr Potter" on school grounds, something Teddy took every opportunity to forget.

"Hmph," Harry grunted. "Get cleaned up and I'll see you in my classroom, yeah?"

"Yes, sir!" Teddy said, throwing him a salute.

After a quick shower, Teddy and Duncan were getting dressed when Duncan nudged him with his elbow. "Tell me when I've got your favorite color," he simpered in a decent imitation of Teddy's accent.

"Leave off, Dunk," Teddy groaned as he shrugged his school blazer back on. "She's cute, all right?"

"You gonna ask her to the formal?" Duncan asked, peering in the mirror as he combed his wet hair.

"Was thinking I might." Teddy raked his fingers through his and called it good, deciding to give it a sun-streaked look in case he bumped into Kelly on the way to his godfather's classroom.

"Oooooh, Lupin's got a crush on a giiiiirl!" Duncan sang, batting his eyelashes at Teddy.

"I swear, the way you act it's hard to believe that I'm the younger one here," Teddy muttered as he shoved his Quidditch things into a laundry bag.

"Come on, I'm just having a laugh, all right?" Duncan said, heaving his book bag onto his shoulder. "Besides, I don't know how much luck you'll have asking her; I heard her dad's pretty strict."

"You know very well that no one can stand against the full force of the patented Edward Remus Lupin charm," he said, using his Metamorphmagus skills to subtly enhance his appearance. He made his skin slightly more tanned and his eyes a brighter blue, his hair became just a touch longer than was currently fashionable and expertly messy and his smile was very nearly blinding.

Unimpressed by his display, Duncan shook his head. "Man, you can be really fucking spooky when you want to be."

"Well, I'm sure I can win over Kelly's dad at any rate." Teddy let his features relax into his regular appearance, making sure to keep his hair looking like he spent all day surfing. The two boys left the locker room, chatting companionably on the way to Harry's classroom. To his disappointment, Kelly was nowhere to be found.

"See you tomorrow, all right?" Duncan said as he headed off the school grounds to Apparate home. Teddy burned with jealousy that Duncan already had his license while he wouldn't be eligible to test for his for several more months.

"Guess I'll have to content myself with driving a car," he murmured as he went into the classroom, sitting down in one of the desks with a sigh.

"Good day?" Harry asked as he assembled an enormous pile of papers.

Teddy shrugged. "It was all right."

"How was practice?"

Another shrug. "All right." He paused for a moment, fingers idly tracing a pattern on the wood desktop. "Coach yelled at me. Called me a showboat."

"Did he? Were you showing off?"

"Not on purpose."

"For once. So what happened?" Harry put the stack of papers in his satchel and stood, slinging it across his chest. Teddy stood and stretched, his stomach rumbling.

"Well, you know how Duncan sometimes doesn't plan too well where the Bludger goes when he hits it, right? He hit it away from me and sent it straight at Kelly Taylor." Harry frowned and Teddy rushed on, eager to defend his friend. "Duncan was totally there in time, but Kelly panicked and dropped the Quaffle instead of throwing it to me and I couldn't let it hit the ground, so I dove after it and caught it right before it hit."

"And Parker didn't like the dive?"

"No. He said it was too dangerous and I should have let the Quaffle fall and force a restart. I think he was just pissed off because he knew he couldn't have done it," Teddy said with a trace of teenaged smugness.

"More like Coach Parker has seen his share of cocky teenagers plow headlong into the pitch, don't you think?" Harry said as they approached the tiny staff parking lot.

"Tomayto, tomahto," Teddy said, grinning as Harry handed him the car keys. Inside the car, Teddy carefully adjusted the seat and mirrors; he and Harry were of a height, but they both liked slightly different driving positions and drove each other crazy with their subtle changes. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for choosing Lupin Air. Please fasten your safety belts and make sure your tray tables are in an upright and locked position," he murmured as he started the car, smiling at the quiet purr of the engine.

A few minutes later they were cruising down the main road from the school and on the way to the perennially busy Bay Bridge. Harry took a sheaf of papers out of his satchel and leafed through them, grading pen in his mouth. "So," he asked around it, "have you finished filling out those university applications?"

Teddy groaned inwardly and focused on the road ahead, pretending he hadn't heard his godfather. He felt Harry's eyes on him and he flicked his own for a quick look. "Mostly," he said when he confirmed that he was definitely being stared at.

"When do you plan to finish those? There's a deadline, you know."

"I know."

"What are your top three choices?"

Teddy was silent before finally sighing. "I don't have a top three."

"Are you just going with one or two?" Harry asked with a note of concern in his voice. "You know that's risky if you don't get into either one."

"I don't know if I want to go to university, all right?" Teddy blurted out as he merged carefully onto the busy freeway.

Harry was blessedly silent for a moment. "Do you want to apprentice instead? I'm sure Ginny can get you into a position at SF Thaumaturgical—"

"No, I don't want to be a Healer. Where did you get _that_ idea?" Teddy shot him a look of amazement.

"Do you want to do a business internship with Jacob, then? You know he'd love to have you."

"No way," Teddy said emphatically. He liked Jacob, but he was best in small doses and he just couldn't imagine spending the entire day with the man.

"Quidditch tryout? I've still got some friends on English teams and I could probably get you one. What about magineering?"

Teddy tilted his head to one side and then shook it. "Nah."

"Do you want to go back to England? Ron could probably get you in at his firm," Harry said, rustling the papers around in his lap. Teddy shook his head again. The thought of working all day in a law office just gave him the willies. "What then? Tell me and I'll help you, yeah?"

Teddy took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel tighter as he steered the big car on the approach to the bridge. "I want to be an Auror. Like you and Mum." As he knew he would be, Harry was silent and Teddy forced himself to maintain his relaxed position, looking as if he hadn't just dropped an atomic bomb in the middle of the car.

The rest of the ride to the parking garage was silent, Teddy acutely aware of Harry radiating disapproval in the seat next to him. He stole a glance at him as he made a right turn, feeling his stomach sink at the expression on his godfather's face as he pretended to focus on the papers in front of him. That furrow between his brows usually meant "We'll talk later, but I'm too angry right now to be civil to you."

"Good job," Harry said when Teddy parked the car and shut off the engine, almost making him jump in his seat.

"Thanks," Teddy said quietly, handing him back the keys. Harry made no move to get out of the car, so he settled back in the seat, waiting for Harry to say what he was going to say.

"Teddy, I want you to listen to me, all right? Really listen," he said slowly, clearly in "godfather mode."

"I'm listening." Teddy crossed his arms, looking straight ahead at the blank cement wall of the parking garage.

"Being an Auror is a tough, dangerous job and Gin and I want you to consider all of your options. You can do anything you put your mind to and we would hate to see you box yourself into a situation that might not be the best fit for you, yeah?" Teddy noted the use of his godmother's name and 'we' in Harry's statements. "You're excellent at Potions and Transfiguration and I've never seen anyone as good at puzzles as you are. You're a better flyer than me or Gin put together and we know that there are so many other things that you can do."

Teddy tried to take the praise to heart, but he couldn't help but hear that to Harry, he was too good to be a common Auror like his mother was and he felt a wave of resentment. "So you're saying that my mum was only fit to be an Auror? That she couldn't have done anything else?"

"No, God no! Your mum was amazing, but … listen, we just don't want you to get hurt. Running after Dark wizards is not a thing to be entered into lightly," Harry said and Teddy felt him put his hand on his shoulder.

"You came out all right," Teddy said truculently, choosing not to shake Harry's hand off of him.

"By the skin of my teeth. I've been shot, stabbed, hexed within an inch of my life, had my nose broken more times than I can count and I'm pretty sure I've regrown all of the bones in my body at some point," Harry said, sounding like he was warming to his subject. "If I'd stayed in, I'd probably look like old Mad-Eye by now."

"Yeah, but you and Ron went in even though you knew it was dangerous."

"Teddy, we grew up in a different time and didn't have the same opportunities as you do now. Walking down the street was dangerous and we just … traded one for the other," he said, his voice softening toward the end.

Teddy sighed, feeling the persuasion in Harry's words in spite of himself. "But I'm a Metamorphmagus, just like her," he said quietly. "I never knew her and if I become an Auror, then maybe …"

Harry's hand squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I know. You have no obligation, yeah? I did, so I fulfilled it until I couldn't anymore. I don't want you to have to do that." Teddy was silent and he heard Harry sigh. "Just promise me you'll finish the applications and write your essays, all right? Before break."

"Yeah, fine. I will." They got out of the car and Harry Apparated them home. Ginny was giving James his dinner and the baby screeched happily at their sudden arrival. Teddy watched as Harry kissed his wife hello and picked up his son, bouncing the crowing baby in his arms as he listened to Ginny tell him all about the amazing things James had done that day. He felt an old, familiar longing wash over him and he heaved a sigh as he went into his bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

"Teddy was quiet tonight. Is everything all right?" Ginny asked late that night in the calm darkness of the bedroom.

Harry sighed and shifted onto his side, squinting at her dim shape. "I nagged him about his university applications on the way home today."

"He does need to get them done. Did he get into a strop about it?" she asked, running her fingers through the hair at his temple.

"No, that would have been easier to deal with," Harry snorted, leaning into her touch. Stuart jumped up onto the bed and proceeded to insinuate himself between them, purring loudly. "He said he doesn't want to go to university and wants to be an Auror."

"Oh," Ginny said after a moment's silence. "What did you say?"

"I didn't yell at him, so you can hold that thought."

"I didn't say you did."

Harry moved the cat's tail out of his face and rubbed his eyes. "I told him it's bloody dangerous and that he can do anything he wants to. Offered to set him up with a Quidditch tryout. I think Wood is still with Puddlemere. Or he can clerk for Ron. Hell, I'm sure George would love to have him as good at puzzles and potions as he is."

"What did he say?"

"He brought up Tonks and accused me of insinuating that she was only good enough to be an Auror." Harry shook his head. "He has no idea just how tough it is to get into and through the training. He doesn't know how good she was."

"No, he doesn't," Ginny said softly, her voice full of sorrow for their fallen friend. "He's looking for a connection to them. He can't become a werewolf, so he wants to be an Auror."

"Well, he _could_ become a werewolf, but it's hardly advised, is it? Besides, Remus was so much more than just a werewolf," Harry said, the scarred face of his favorite teacher coming to his mind.

"He was," Ginny agreed, falling silent as she rested her hand on his chest. "Even with the way things are now, being an Auror is so dangerous. What was it Mark was telling stories about last time we were at Sarah and Archimedes's?"

"He was telling about that bloke that was selling cursed stuff to Muggles. Told them it would grant one wish, but didn't tell them about the curses they'd get in return. Had his place up in Petaluma booby-trapped all to hell," Harry said, smiling at the memory of Sutton telling the story over dessert. The boys had paid rapt attention, mouths literally hanging open.

"Did you notice his wife while he was talking about it?"

"Yes. She didn't look best pleased, did she?"

"She didn't. Put me in mind of myself when you and Ron would tell your stories." Ginny scooted closer, upsetting the cat to rest her head on his chest, long hair tickling his skin.

Harry kissed the top of her head. "And you know with him being a Metamorphmagus Archimedes will send him everywhere. I only know of one other and he's on the east coast."

"They'll train him within an inch of his life and he's smart," Ginny said quietly.

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Harry said, squeezing her tight. "All the training in the world won't stop a Killing Curse, will it?"

"Did you ever think of that? Or think about getting shot?"

Harry shifted around, avoiding Ginny's eyes. "I tried not to."

"Maybe you should have, then?" she said, poking him hard in the middle of his chest. "Listen, I know you're worried about him. I am too. We want only the best for him, but this might be something he needs to do. He never knew Tonks and he knows that we and Andromeda love him very much, but it's not the same, is it?"

"No, it's not," Harry sighed, remembering the times when Molly had showered affection on him in an effort to make him feel like he was part of the family; it had only made him yearn for his own parents even more. Teddy's natural sweet nature and charm made it easy to overlook the fact that like Harry, he had his own dark times. _Maybe this is just one of them,_ he thought as he snuggled closer to Ginny, pushing the cat out of the way. _He'll get on with his applications and forget all about this Auror business._


	2. Chapter 2

Overcast and occasional spits of rain were not ideal Quidditch conditions in Teddy's mind, but it was what they had to deal with today in their game against Mission Hills, their hated Southern California rivals. The day had started partly sunny and he'd held out hopes that it would clear up, but it seemed like as soon as the game began, the clouds rolled in, dark and heavy. There had been a concern that the game would need to be delayed due to lightning, but the local Weather Adept had given the all clear and both teams eagerly kicked off into the sky.

"All right, Mission Hills is on their heels. Sonora held them to a shut out, so you know they're going to be coming hard, but their confidence is low," Coach Parker said as they huddled together for their pre-game strategy. "Sutton, you and Anderson keep the Bludgers going their way. They have a substitute Beater in for their lead who took a fall in that game against Sonora. Keep him busy." Duncan and Nicholas bashed forearms and nodded.

Coach Parker pointed to their Seeker, Jenny Ishikawa. "Their Seeker is new this year, but has made some amazing grabs. One eye on her, one eye out for the Snitch, all right?"

"Yes, Coach," she said, gripping her broom tightly. She was a Junior and had been first-string since her Freshman year, so she knew her job very well.

"Chasers. Your jobs are to score as much as you can. Their Keeper is a Senior and is about the same size as a hippogriff, so you're going to have to be very coordinated with your passes to keep him off balance." Teddy nodded, looking at his fellow Chasers. He caught Kelly's eye and gave her a wink, grinning when she winked back.

"Cruz, their Chasers are fast, but not as coordinated as we are. Don't be afraid for call for help, all right?" Coach Parker clapped his hands together and put them on his hips, looking at them sternly. "Get out there and have fun." He put his hand out toward them and they all put their hands on top, Teddy making sure his was touching Kelly's.

"Mandrakes on three. One, two three, Mandrakes!" they all shouted in unison, Teddy feeling the familiar pre-game thrill running through him. The pace of the game had been blistering with the two teams practically trading scores and possessions with both of the Seekers diligently searching for the Snitch. With no direct sunlight to reflect off of the golden ball, their job was much harder than it usually was and Teddy settled in for a long game.

The game was nearly two hours old when a Bludger whizzed by his head as he sped down the pitch, Quaffle secure under his arm. Duncan streaked past, readying his bat as Teddy bore down on the Mission Hills Keeper, who was indeed about as wide as a hippogriff; Teddy had wondered how he kept airborne when he saw him kick off at the beginning of the game.

"Now!" Teddy shouted and Duncan intercepted the Bludger, sending it straight for the Mission Hills Keeper's head, forcing him to dive down and give Teddy a clear shot at the goal. He shot the Quaffle through the hoop, cheering at the loud gong and the echoing cheer from the stands packed full of family and students.

"Another score for number seven, Teddy Lupin!" the magically-amplified voice of Senior Eric Montrose shouted. "With an assist from number twenty-four, Duncan Sutton!" There was no time to rest on his laurels however because Mission Hills had the Quaffle and they were driving down the pitch in a wedge formation, looking to score quickly.

"Come on, Ishikawa," Teddy muttered, "I'm starving!" Kelly signaled him and he nodded, zipping up to the Mission Hills Chasers, diving and flying to disrupt their movement and force them to pass the Quaffle in the hopes of gaining an interception.

Jordan Armstrong came in from up high, startling the lead Chaser that held the Quaffle, forcing a clumsy pass. Teddy stretched, but came up short, mindful of the prohibition on his use of his Metamorphmagus skills, as much as he would have liked to extend his arms the extra inches he needed to make the catch.

Abandoning the effort, Teddy swooped over to hover by their Keeper, Maria Cruz. "Nice score, Lupin," she said, eyes glued to the opposing Chasers trying to organize themselves while Kelly and Jordan continued to buzz around them.

"Thanks," he said, eyes momentarily distracted by something that flew by almost too fast to see. _The Snitch? No, that was way bigger than any Snitch I've seen. Must have been a bird of some sort. Besides, Ishikawa's still up there with their Seeker._ He shook his head and focused on the Chasers in front of them, finally taking a shot. Maria blocked it easily and quickly passed it to him and he tucked it under his arm, signaling that he was going high.

"Uh oh, folks, the Seekers are on the move! I do believe Ishikawa's seen it! Look at her go!" Eric shouted and Teddy spun around, watching as Jenny practically flattened herself against her broom, black ponytail whipping in the wind as she sped toward the winged Snitch, hand outstretched.

"Yes!" Teddy shouted when she caught the Snitch and sat up straight, hand held high over her head. The entire team flew straight toward her, nearly ending up in a massive mid-air collision as they all tried to hug her at once.

"There you have it folks! St Ambrose Mandrakes 290, Mission Hills Banshees 80. Top scorer today goes to Teddy Lupin with 70 points! What a game!" The team flew a victory lap in a V formation with Jenny in front holding the Snitch in front of her, blue and gold robes flapping in the wind.

On the ground, they were surrounded by a surging crowd of friends and family and Teddy found himself practically pummeled from all sides. He looked for Harry and Ginny in the crowd, finally catching sight of Ginny's distinctive red hair and he pushed through the throng toward them. Harry had baby James in a carrier on his chest and the baby was bundled up such that he looked like a laughing snowman.

"Top scorer! Well done, love!" Ginny said, pulling him in for a tight hug.

Harry beamed proudly and pounded him on his shoulder, nearly knocking Teddy over. "Excellent game, Teddy." Baby James screeched and waved his arms, reaching out for Teddy. "Go get cleaned up and we'll go out, yeah?"

"That's the best thing I've heard all day! I'm starving!" Teddy chucked James under the chin, grinning at the baby's drooly smile. "Can we go to Fenton's?"

"If you promise to eat more than just ice cream," Ginny said with a knowing smile.

"Come on, Ginny! I'm the top scorer! That's got to be worth a banana split!" He kissed her on the cheek and wormed his way out of the teeming throng, heading to the locker rooms with the rest of the team. After a congratulatory speech from Coach Parker and the requisite horseplay, Teddy quickly showered, hoping to catch Kelly on the way out.

"So, you going to ask her to the dance?" Duncan asked as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

"Yeah, I think so," Teddy said after taking a careful look to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.

"You better hurry up. I heard her talking to Jenny the other day. Her dad is going to let her go to the dance."

"How do you hear all of this gossip?" Teddy asked, completely mystified. It seemed that Duncan always knew everything that was going on at the school.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Duncan said haughtily.

"Hey, Harry and Ginny are taking me to Fenton's. Want to come?" Teddy carefully arranged his hair in the mirror, deciding to leave it his regular sandy brown. He didn't want Kelly to think he was vain.

"Ooo, Fenton's … I can't, man. Mom and Dad promised my little sister we'd do pizza after. Tell Ginny that I'm sorry I missed her," he said with a lascivious grin.

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Teddy slid on his jacket and shoved his Quidditch kit in his locker, closing it with a crash. "I'm off. Wish me luck."

"Good luck! Tell me everything!"

"As if." Teddy and Duncan executed their ridiculously complicated secret handshake and he left the locker room, catching Jenny Ishikawa on the way out. "Jenny, good catch today!" he said warmly.

She gave him a broad smile and nodded. "Thanks! You weren't so bad yourself out there!"

"Thanks! Hey, uh, did Kelly leave already?"

"No, she's still in there. You want me to get her?"

Teddy felt a surge of butterflies in his gut and he shook his head. "No, that's all right. Thanks."

Jenny gave him a look that only increased the unsettled feeling in his stomach and grinned. "Okay. See you Monday, top scorer!"

"Yeah, Monday." Teddy leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, trying to look nonchalant when he felt anything but. He'd rehearsed exactly how he was going to ask her to the dance all week, but he still thought that everything that came out of his mouth sounded stupid. He'd studied Harry and Ginny surreptitiously, but they were no help; they'd known each other for most of their lives and he was pretty sure they were telepathic.

Maria Cruz came out of the locker room, startling him out of his reverie. "Hey," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Good job today."

"Thanks, you too."

"Listen, our first game after winter break is with Snohomish. I wanted to know what you thought about running a few extra practices after we get back. They're a tough team and—"

"Yeah, sounds good. You know, whatever Coach thinks, all right?" Teddy said, trying to get her to move along before Kelly came out.

"Uh, all right. I'll talk to Coach about it then. See you Monday."

"Yeah, Monday." Maria finally headed off down the hallway and Teddy breathed a sigh of relief. _Wait, this is the only way out of the girls' locker room, right? She wouldn't have left out of a back door or something?_ He'd nearly convinced himself to go hunting for another exit to the girls' locker room when Kelly finally came out, long blonde hair in a tight braid down her back.

"Oh, Teddy! This is unexpected!" she said brightly, eyes wide at the sight of him. Teddy stood momentarily dumbstruck. _Why have I never noticed her eyes are the same color as Marella's before?_

"Hey," he said, sounding like an idiot to his own ears. "Um, good game today, huh? We really demolished 'em!"

"Yeah we did! Good thing Coach drilled us on formations and passing, right? Their passing was terrible today. Oh, I need to tell Duncan aiming that Bludger at their Keeper was great!" she said, smiling widely.

 _Her nose does that cute little crinkle thing! Okay, Lupin! Focus!_ "Yeah, that's something we'd talked about before. Their Keeper is so hard to get around, we thought we'd get him out of the way."

"Well, I think it worked perfectly," she said, putting her hand on his arm. Teddy was sure his heart was going to beat right out of his chest at the contact and he forced himself to take a deep breath.

Kelly was looking at him, her face open and expectant and Teddy knew the moment had come. "So, um, Winter Formal is coming up … and I … was wondering if you'd like to go with me," he said, abandoning his nonchalant lean and standing up straight. He kept his hands still even though he wanted very badly to run his hand through his hair. His pulse was roaring in his ears as he watched her smile widen. _Oh God, please say yes, please say yes, please—_

"Yes, I'd love to go to the Winter Formal with you," she said quietly, looking down at the cement walkway.

Teddy abruptly had to remind himself to breathe as he looked at her in front of him, her ears turning a delicate shade of pink. She looked up at him from under her brows, sea-green eyes wide and he felt a goofy grin spread across his face. "Okay, cool. Um, yeah. So … I guess …"

"Yeah, I guess … um … I'll let you know what color my dress is, all right? So you can match."

"Of course," Teddy said, nodding his head vigorously, feeling completely daft the entire time. _I have to match? I went stag last time!_

"Okay, so see you Monday?" Kelly said, still looking quite pink.

"Yeah, Monday. Okay." They stood awkwardly, Teddy's thoughts in a whirl. _Do I kiss her? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now? Does she want me to kiss her?_

"Well, my mom and dad are waiting for me. So, um, bye," Kelly said, giving him a little wave.

"Oh, yeah. Um, bye." He returned her wave, a warm flush running through him at her giggle. She turned around and walked slowly down the walkway, turning once to look over her shoulder at him, nose crinkling in that way Teddy already adored. He stood watching her until she turned the corner and was lost to his sight.

All of the adrenaline drained out of him and he sagged against the wall, suddenly exhausted. "I did it. I hope her dress is a good color."

* * *

Teddy took a long, noisy slurp of his mint cookie milkshake and relaxed against the back of his chair, surveying the wreckage of what had been a double bacon cheeseburger, a whole basket of french fries and an enormous milkshake. He patted his stomach and sighed happily. "I love this place," he said, looking around the crowded restaurant.

Ginny took a more sedate sip of her own eggnog milkshake, handing James a french fry to gnaw on. "A good decision, love."

"Fenton's is always a good decision," Harry agreed, finishing his coffee milkshake with an even louder slurp, drawing an admonishing glare from his wife.

Teddy picked up one more french fry from the basket and dipped it in ketchup, holding it in front of him. "I have an announcement," he said, chewing slowly.

"You're running away and joining the circus?" Harry asked, inhaling the last onion ring.

"No. I have a date for the Winter Formal."

"Oh, do you? Who?" Ginny asked, leaning forward, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Kelly Taylor," Teddy said, the act of saying her name out loud giving him a feeling in his stomach that made him realize just how much he'd eaten.

"She's that cute blonde Chaser, right? A Junior?" Ginny's expression was speculative as if she were already imagining how well they went together.

"I thought her dad wasn't letting her go to dances until she's a Senior?" Harry asked musingly.

"Duncan said he heard her talking to Jenny, saying that her dad was going to let her start going this year." Teddy shrugged and gave James another fry; the one he currently had in his fist was nearly gnawed into oblivion.

"How does he hear so much? I swear he's using Extendable Ears," Harry muttered.

"Well, we've got a lot of work to do. You've grown since you last wore your dress robes, so we'll have to check the fit. You need a matching waistcoat and tie—do you know what color she's wearing?" Ginny said, launching into an alarming list of tasks.

"Um, she said she'd let me know. I'll ask her Monday?"

"Don't forget! You want to look coordinated for your pictures."

"I won't forget." Teddy took another exploratory slurp of his milkshake and glanced at Harry. "Can I borrow the car?"

"Borrow the car? Hmm," Harry said, sitting back against his chair and putting his hands behind his head. "Have you finished your university applications like we talked about?"

"Well, I've finished _an_ application."

"Essay as well?" Harry was now giving him his teacher look over his glasses and Teddy squirmed in his seat.

"No, not yet. I've thought about it, though. I know what I'm going to say," Teddy said, employing every last shred of charm he possessed.

"Hm. Listen, finish two applications, including essays, and you can borrow the car for the night." Harry held out his hand and Teddy took it, giving it a firm shake.

"Deal." _That's not too high of a price to pay. Not too many of the other kids drive. Kelly will definitely be impressed._

James chose that moment to start squawking and grunting, announcing to the table exactly what he was on about. "I'll get the check," Harry said, grabbing the slip of paper on the table.

"Chicken," Ginny snorted, gathering up James from the high chair along with the capacious diaper bag.

"That is never a good sound, Gin. Godspeed," Harry said with a wide grin.

Teddy watched as she stuck her tongue out at her husband and made her way to the toilet, telling James what a good boy he was. He'd been on the receiving end of a few of James' more interesting efforts and he was glad that he wasn't being pressed into duty. "I'm going to wait outside, okay?" he said, eyeballing the long line of people waiting to pay.

Harry nodded distractedly and Teddy left the noisy, crowded restaurant. He loved Fenton's, but sometimes it just got overwhelming. He leaned against the building in the chilly afternoon. The cloud cover hadn't let up at all and it looked like it might actually rain soon. He was looking idly up Piedmont Street when movement up on top of an electrical line caught his eye.

 _Now that's a big damn bird,_ he thought, taking a closer look at it. One of the benefits of being a Metamorphmagus was infinite control over his own eyesight. A few minor tweaks here and there and he didn't really need binoculars. That was one of the reasons why he was a Chaser and not a Seeker; using Metamorphmagus skills in a game was strictly forbidden.

 _Is that an eagle? A hawk? Hmm … definitely too big for a falcon. Must be some sort of eagle then, but with that coloring …_ The bird was so big and heavy that it bowed the top electrical line almost even with the bottom one. Even in the muted light of the cloud-covered afternoon, it glowed a mellow bronze color and Teddy had the feeling that it was looking straight at him.

Harry came out of the restaurant, rolling a toothpick around in his mouth and handed Teddy one. Teddy was about to ask him about the giant bird, but when he looked, the bird had gone. "What do you think about taking a gap year?" Harry asked, leaning against the bricks.

"What?" Teddy asked, switching gears from wondering about the bird to his godfather's out-of-the-blue question.

"A gap year. Take a year, do some traveling, figure out what you really want to do," Harry said, a note of careful casualness in his voice.

Teddy put the toothpick in his mouth and mimicked Harry's posture, hands in his jacket pockets. "What I really want to do is be an Auror," he said, avoiding looking at him. "Me and Duncan want to go in together. If I take a gap year, he'll be a year ahead of me."

"Did Duncan talk you into this?"

"No," Teddy said, taking a quick glance at Harry. He knew that there was some history between his godfather and Mr Sutton, but he hadn't been able to figure out the whole story yet. "We were talking to Archimedes last time we were over there—"

"Has Archimedes put you up to this?" Harry interrupted sharply. "Has he promised you anything? Said he'd do anything for you?"

Teddy stood up straight and faced his godfather, meeting his green eyes with his own scowl. "No! Harry, jeez! No one put me up to anything, okay? Can't I have my own idea for once?"

"Of course you can have your own ideas, but an Auror is just too dangerous!"

"You did it and it was way more dangerous then."

"I didn't have parents to tell me otherwise!"

Teddy felt an electrical jolt go through him and heard a roaring in his ears at Harry's words. Drawing himself up to his full height, he crossed his arms against his chest. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have parents, either." He felt a flash of satisfaction at Harry's stricken look and he took a step back when he reached for his arm.

"Teddy, Gin and I—"

"Gin and I what?" Ginny asked, finally done with changing James. The baby burbled happily and held his arms out to Teddy who obliged him, holding his warm body close.

"Nothing," Harry sighed. "Ready?" Ginny looked at them both, a frown creasing her brows and nodded. The car ride back home was quiet, Teddy avoiding Harry's glances at him in the rearview mirror.

Back home, Teddy excused himself to his room. "I have a paper for Ms Okefor I need to finish," he said, practically closing the door in Harry's face. In his room, he lay on his bed, idly tossing a wooden puzzle ball into the air and catching it, trying to sort out the jumble of his thoughts. Resolutely pushing aside the memory of Harry's stunned expression at the end of their short conversation, he focused instead on Kelly and the shy way she'd ducked down her head when she consented to going to the dance with him.

He was in the middle of envisioning the two of them on the dance floor, wondering how her lips would feel, when the phone in his pocket buzzed.

 _What did she say?_ the message from Duncan said and Teddy could almost feel his friend's excitement.

 _She said yes, of course. I told you no one could stand against my charm._

 _Aw yeah! Did you kiss?_

 _What? No!_ Teddy responded, wrinkling his nose.

 _Why not?_

 _Ugh, I asked her to the dance! I'm not going to get all over her in the hall!_

 _Yeah, probably better to wait. Girls like that._

Teddy snorted. _Like you would know what girls like._

 _Hey! Which one of us has actually had a girlfriend?_ Teddy could almost hear his friend's indignant voice.

 _One week in eighth grade hardly counts._

 _Yes it does._

 _Whatever. Listen, Harry's going to let me borrow the car for the dance._

 _Fuckin' A! The Audi?_

 _Hell yeah, son!_

 _Can you pick up me and Alison?_

 _Hmm, I dunno,_ Teddy sent. He had his license, but he knew there was some restrictions as to who he could drive and how late he could be out. _I'll ask, but that might be a no go._

 _Are Harry and Ginny chaperoning?_

 _Um, I think so? Probably._

 _Awesome. I hope Ginny wears that green dress again._

 _God, what's wrong with you? Why do I put up with you?_

 _BECAUSE YOU WUV MEEEEEEE!_

Teddy snorted and sent the barf emoji, getting a string of red hearts in return. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. _Hey, did you see a big bird today during the game?_

 _Was it six feet tall, yellow and called Big Bird?_

 _Eat a bag of dicks, Sutton. I saw this giant-ass bird outside of Fenton's today and I just remembered I saw something fly by during the game._

 _Nah. I only have eyes for you, Lupin._

 _Aw, so sweet. I gotta go. That paper on Native American Shamanic Magic is due Monday._

 _Crap. And I was having such a great weekend ignoring homework. All right, man. Are you going to dream of Kelly tonight?_

 _I'm going to dream of beating the shit out of you with your own bat._

 _Like every night. Later!_

 _Later._

Setting aside his puzzle ball, Teddy sat down at his desk, opening the lid of his laptop. He'd written a rough outline during class the other day, but now he buckled down to the work of fleshing it out. He'd decided to focus on the Ohlone creation stories and how the Shamans were instrumental in keeping their people grounded and never letting them forget where they came from through their oral history tradition.

 _Here on the west coast, Ohlohne and Miwok shamans taught their people that they were created by Coyote and that He taught them the ways of Magic and survival, gifting them with fire and the knowledge of how to work obsidian into the necessary tools for survival._ The mention of Coyote in his reading made him remember the first river rafting trip on the Colorado River that first summer he'd spent with Harry and Ginny.

 _Hehewuti said Coyote had hidden her egg and that he was testing her, but she didn't know why he'd want to test her …_ he thought, taking his wand out and looking at it. He remembered the enormous bird with little jags of lightning running all over her body and how he'd boldly asked for one of her feathers. Ginny had kept the silver feather safe for him until it was time for a wand of his own, giving it to old Ollivander himself.

There hadn't been enough of the cypress the dying dryad had gifted to Harry in return for freeing her from the curse after Ollivander had made the other three wands and Teddy was a little disappointed. Having a wand made from a dryad-tree would have been awesome, but Ollivander said that he felt the cypress wouldn't have been right, anyway.

He looked at Teddy over his half-moon spectacles and smiled kindly. "I remember when your mother got her wand. Rowan, I believe. A good wood, well-suited to protection." Smiling at the memory, he gave his wand a flick, pleased when a cascade of silver sparks shot out of the tip, fading to nothing before reaching the hardwood floor of his bedroom.

Setting his wand aside, he turned his attention back to his writing, wanting to finish this up tonight so he could be lazy on Sunday. He'd just gotten back into his groove when he heard a tapping sound on his window.

* * *

"So what happened outside today? With you and Teddy?" Ginny asked, settling down on the sofa next to Harry.

"James down for the night?" Harry asked, closing the lid on his laptop. He'd been trying to focus on lesson plans, but he'd really been brooding on his conversation with his godson.

"Yes. Teddy's in his room doing homework." She reached out and traced the shell of his ear with her finger. "Tell me what happened."

Sighing, Harry took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "I'm a bloody git."

"Well, that's hardly news, is it?"

"No, not really." He settled his glasses back on his nose and rested his head against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes. "I went out to chat to him about a gap year, like we talked about. See how he felt about the idea."

"What did he say?" Harry felt Ginny rest her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"He said that he didn't want to take a gap year because then Duncan would be a year ahead of him in the Academy."

"To which you said?"

Harry grimaced. "That's where things started to go a bit sideways. I asked him if Duncan had put him up to going into the Academy with him and he said no, but then he mentioned Archimedes."

"Oh dear," Ginny sighed, hugging him across his middle. Harry enjoyed a friendship with the head of the San Francisco Regional Auror's office, but he was constantly on the alert for recruitment attempts.

"Yeah. So I asked him if Archimedes had coerced him or promised him anything if he joined. He said no and accused me of thinking that he couldn't come up with his own ideas about his life." Harry really wished he had a beer right about now, but he was far too comfortable on the sofa and didn't want to disturb Ginny next to him.

"I bet that went over well," she said, her voice muffled by his jumper.

"About as well as you'd think. And then I really put my foot in it."

"So accusing him of not having an original thought in his head _wasn't_ the worst of it?"

"Not by a long shot. I reminded him how dangerous a job it is and he pointed out that I went for it, even though I knew how dangerous it was and I …" Harry trailed off, a flood of embarrassment coming over him at the memory of what he'd said. Ginny nudged him and the took a deep breath. "I said that I didn't have any parents around to tell me otherwise."

"Oh, Harry. You didn't."

"I most certainly did."

"Why would you say that?"

Harry shrugged helplessly. "Gin, _we're_ his parents, yeah? Tonks and Lupin hardly spent any time with him at all and we've had him almost as long as Andromeda. I taught him how to ride a bike, you've healed more scrapes and cuts than I can count." He turned to look at her in the low light of the lounge. "I gave him _The Talk._ "

"He knows we love him, but he also knows we're not really his parents. My dad gave you _The Talk._ Did that make him your dad to you?" Ginny asked softly.

"No, because then you'd be my sister and what we're doing would be illegal in most places," Harry said with a small smile, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Most places? I'm almost afraid to ask." Ginny kissed him, caressing his stubbly cheek with one hand. "You need to make this right, okay? I can't have you two at each other's throats."

"I know. I'll talk to him tomorrow. I don't want him to feel like I'm nagging him or anything." Harry ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly exhausted. "I just wish he'd realize he could do anything he wanted. He doesn't _have_ to do this."

"Oh, love, he knows. This is just what he _wants_ to do." Ginny swept his fringe off of his forehead. "Come on, let's go to bed. We'll figure out how to fix this tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

The tapping on the window was very insistent and Teddy glanced quickly at the door, sure that the noise would bring an inquisitive Harry or Ginny. Wand out, he lowered the lights so he could see what was making that noise and cautiously approached, sucking in an amazed breath at the sight of the huge bird perched on the ledge of his window.

The bird drew back his head to unleash another round of pecks at the glass and Teddy waved his hands at it, praying it wouldn't break the glass. Opening the window, he looked at the bird, realizing it was the same one he'd seen earlier on the electrical wire. It was holding onto the stucco ledge, its wicked-looking talons digging deep.

"What do you want?" he hissed, glancing at his door. There was a cold breeze coming into the room now and he was hoping that his godparents didn't notice any draft.

"You are Teddy Lupin," said the bird, cocking its head to the side.

"Yes. And you are …?" Teddy said, only a little bit surprised to be talking to a huge bird through his window on a chilly December evening.

The bird sat up proudly, fluffing out his bronze feathers. "I am Niyol and I have come far to see you, Teddy Lupin."

Teddy flashed back to a memory of a crack of thunder almost directly overhead and the newly-hatched thunderbird flying down out of the nest. "Me? What for?" He heard the sounds of movement out in the lounge. "Uh oh. Listen, outside on top of the building there's a terrace or patio or whatever. Meet me out there at, um, midnight, all right?"

"Teddy Lupin, what is midnight?"

There was a soft knock on his door and he heard Ginny's voice calling his name. "I gotta go. Just meet me outside in a few hours, all right?"

"Teddy Lupin—" Teddy shut the window and closed the curtains, sliding across the bare wood floor in his socks to answer the door, opening it a crack.

"Yes?" he asked, giving Ginny his most winning smile.

"You've been quiet in here. Just checking to see how your paper for Ms Okefor is going," Ginny said, subtly pushing the door open wider and stepping in. Teddy shot a look at his window, relieved to see the curtains were still closed and the bird was nowhere to be seen.

"It's fine. I'm almost done." He watched in dismay as Ginny opened his closet, rifling through for his dress robes, finally pulling them out from way in the back.

"When was the last time you wore these?" she asked, wrinkling her nose as she blasted them with a Freshening Charm.

"I dunno. Um … last year? Last spring?"

"Here, take off that bulky jumper and put this on," she said, handing him the waistcoat. He gave a resigned sigh and pulled off the jumper, slipping on the waistcoat over his tee shirt. He stood still, feeling like a mannequin as Ginny buttoned it up and took a step back, looking at him critically. "Raise your arms." Teddy did so and then spun in place at her request. "I think the waistcoat is still all right, but I'm afraid the robes themselves will be too short."

Teddy obligingly pulled on the outer robes and when he stretched his arms out in front of him, the sleeves rode up several inches above his wrists and the bottoms were a few inches above his ankles. "How much did you grow?" Ginny said, looking up at him.

"I guess you feed me too well." Teddy grinned and hunched over low enough until he was on eye-level with his godmother.

"Prat." She held out her hands and he took off the too-small dress robes, watching as she hung them back up in the closet. While she was occupied in his closet, he glanced at his window again. _No bird. Good._

Turning away from the closet, Ginny crossed her arms and looked around his room, eyes moving over the pictures and posters he had on his walls. The wall facing his desk was a collage of his favorite pictures, several of which featured him and Duncan in various daring endeavors. Stepping closer, Ginny reached out and stroked her finger gently on one of the pictures. "I remember this day," she said with a fond smile.

Teddy leaned over her shoulder and smiled. He and Harry stood proudly in their new skating gear, complete with helmets and pads. "Yeah, our first day at the skate park. I thought Harry was going to break an arm."

"You learned how to skate together."

"We had you to teach us. Do all girls know how to skate?" he asked, wondering if Kelly knew and if he should invite her along to his favorite skate park.

"Hmm, I don't know if Hermione does. We'll have to go skating at Christmas and find out," Ginny said impishly, kissing his cheek. "All right, I'll get out of your hair. Those dress robes have been bothering me. We'll go this week for new ones, all right?"

Teddy hung his head, not looking forward to the endless hours of trying on various styles of robes and parading around in front of Ginny for her approval. She was very picky and both he and Harry had been the object of her obsession several times before. "I can't wait," he said woodenly, completely failing to keep a straight face.

Ginny patted his cheek. "I promise it'll be painless. Don't stay up too late, all right?"

"Yeah, all right," he agreed, choosing not to argue that it wasn't even a school night. Closing the door after her, he fell down into his desk chair, blowing out a long sigh. "No, I won't stay up too late. I'll go to bed right after I meet some daft bird at midnight and find out what the bloody hell it wants with me."

Pushing aside distracting thoughts of the bird and showing off his skating stunts to Kelly, he finished his paper, wondering if the Coyote that the Ohlone and Miwok venerated was the same Coyote that had hidden Hehewuti's egg. _Is there more than one Coyote?_ Given what he'd learned about Him, the thought was sobering. He sent the paper to the printer in the garage potions lab and stood, giving a huge stretch. There was still a strip of light under his door, indicating that the adults of the house were still awake and in the lounge.

The siren call of leftovers in the refrigerator made him put his hand on the doorknob. He thought about his earlier conversation with Harry and took a deep breath. He didn't really feel like talking to him right now, but he knew that he couldn't avoid him forever. Squaring his shoulders, he opened the door and headed toward the kitchen, spotting Harry on the sofa, looking like he was fully engaged in whatever was on the screen of his laptop. He heard splashes and squeals coming from the bathroom and he surmised that Ginny was getting James ready for bed.

Opening the refrigerator, he surveyed the contents, settling on leftover chicken parmesan. He used a quick warming spell on the whole container and grabbed a fork, intent on making his way back to his room as fast as possible. "All right?" Harry asked as he passed the sofa.

"Yeah."

"Did you finish your paper?"

"Yeah. Just printed it," Teddy said, feeling awkward as he stood in the middle of the lounge, clutching the container of chicken parm and a fork.

"All right," Harry said. He opened his mouth to say something more and Teddy felt a lurch in his gut.

"I have some other stuff to finish," he mumbled, cutting Harry off before he could say another word and scuttled to his room, firmly closing the door behind him.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he thought over the events of the day, choosing to skip over the argument with Harry, focusing instead on the game and how well the team worked together. He chewed slowly, remembering the expression of pure joy on Kelly's face when she made the first score of the game. _God, she looked amazing._

He had known her since she started at St Ambrose a year behind him for all that they were the same age. Harry had wanted him to start his magical education as soon as he became eligible for Hogwarts at eleven, even though magical education in the US usually didn't start until children were finished with Muggle elementary school, typically at age twelve.

They didn't share any classes, so she had been on the periphery of his awareness until she'd made the team at the beginning of the school year. Teddy had certainly been interested in girls before her and even went out on a few dates, but none of the girls he'd dated had been able to hold his interest.

 _They were all too giggly and girly,_ he thought, thinking of the first girl he'd gone out on a date with in his Sophomore year. Harry had obligingly driven them to a restaurant and then made himself scarce, waiting for Teddy's call. _Eileen Ramos. She was cute, but …_ After dropping her off at home, Harry had asked him how the date had gone.

"It was all right, I guess."

"What did you talk about?"

"School, mostly. She's really into Arithmancy," he'd said, shrugging. He didn't have much use for subjects like that. He preferred more concrete subjects like Defense and Potions.

"You're both good at Potions, yeah?"

"Yeah, but Ginny said I should let her talk about what she wanted to talk about."

"Good advice."

They were quiet until they got to the garage, Teddy finally finding the courage to voice the question he'd been turning over in his head all night. "Harry, how did you know Ginny was the right one?"

"Oh, well, um …" Harry said and Teddy grinned to see the blush that spread over his face. "I suppose … I just did, I guess?"

"Hmph, I guess I'll have to ask Ginny to get a real answer." The entire week after their date, Eileen had insisted on Teddy escorting her to her classes, "Like a real gentleman," and got upset when he wanted to sit with his friends at lunch. He did his best to behave like she felt he ought to, but by the end of the week, she'd declared that it just wasn't working out and that she was breaking up with him. Teddy had never been so relieved in his life.

 _Kelly though, she's different._ The three girls on the team were thick as thieves, heads constantly together and always ready to pounce when one of the boys made a mistake in practice. Teddy had been on the receiving end of Kelly's acid wit several times and he could admit to himself that every now and then he'd made mistakes on purpose to see if he could make her say something to him.

Chicken parmesan finished, he picked up his favorite deck of cards, the feeling of the worn cardboard as he manipulated them soothing some of the upset in his mind over the current situation with Harry. Finally, he heard Ginny call "Good night," through his door and he looked at the time on his bedside clock. _Eleven-thirty. Almost time to go see a bird about … whatever._

Setting the cards aside, he lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of Harry and Ginny getting ready for bed. He knew that they knew he could enhance his vision with his Metamorphmagus skills, but he doubted that they'd ever thought about if his hearing could be similarly enhanced. He flushed red at the memory of experimenting with it one night and definitely getting more than he'd bargained for. It had been a long time before he could look at the two of them the same way again.

He'd almost drifted off to sleep when his sensitized ears caught the sound of talons scraping on his window ledge outside and he jumped off the bed lest the bird start pecking at the window again. Opening the window, he beheld Niyol once more, the magnificent bird looking a little impatient with him.

"Teddy Lupin, it is the appointed time, is it not?" he said, trying to climb into the room.

"No, no, no, we can't talk here!" Teddy hissed, holding his hands up to block him. "I told you, the terrace patio thing up on the roof!"

"But you weren't there, so I came back here."

"Go up there now and I'll meet you there soon," he said in a hushed whisper, listening intently for any sounds that indicated the adults in the house were awake and curious.

"Why can't we talk here in your place? It is much warmer." Teddy saw Niyol eyeing his bed and didn't want to think of the damage those wicked talons could wreak on the down comforter.

"Because someone might hear us talking and get curious, okay? Go on, I'll be up there in a minute." The bird looked at him doubtfully and hopped awkwardly off of the ledge, his wings snapping out to catch his falling body. A few powerful beats and he was out of sight.

Sighing with relief that everyone, including James, was still asleep, Teddy closed his window and quickly pulled on his trainers and hoodie. _Man, I wish I could Apparate silently,_ he thought as he grabbed his wand and carefully opened his door. Three steps out of his room and he paused, enhancing his hearing until he could hear Harry and Ginny breathing the deep breaths of true sleep. A few more quick, silent steps brought him to the front door. _Too bad I left my broom at school._

A wave of his wand showed him the blue glow of the alarm spell on the locked door. When Teddy came to stay and was able to do magic on his own, Harry had shown him how to dispel it and unlock the door in case he had to get out in an emergency. "You must promise me that you'll do this only in an emergency," Harry had said sternly and Teddy summoned up his most innocent and serious look and nodded in agreement. He and Duncan had broken that promise several times over, once quite memorably.

Locking the door behind him and resetting the alarm, Teddy headed quickly up to the rooftop terrace, Stuart the cat hot on his heels. "You'd better watch yourself. He's a lot bigger than you, all right?" he admonished the cat as he opened the door, a wave of cold wind hitting him in the face.

"Niyol?" he called softly as he flipped the switch to turn on the fairy lights strung up around the terrace. "Where are you?"

"Here, Teddy Lupin." The enormous bird swooped down out of the darkness, alighting on the back of a deck chair. Not quite knowing what else to do, Teddy sat down in a chair opposite, putting Stuart on his lap as much for his warmth as to keep an eye on him.

"Okay. So here I am. What's up?"

Niyol looked at him, his dark bird eyes unreadable and Teddy returned the favor. He was larger than he remembered Hehewuti being and unlike her, he didn't have any silver feathers at all. Instead his were a dazzling array of brown, bronze and gold that somehow all shimmered together. His wickedly curved beak looked like it could shred him to pieces and he unconsciously hugged Stuart tighter. He looked for any little sizzles of lightning, but didn't see any. _Maybe that only happens if there's going to be a storm soon?_

"Teddy Lupin, you are much larger than when last I saw you," the bird finally said.

"I could say the same for you. How have you been?"

"I have been well. My mother sends her regards to you, Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter."

"Um, tell her thank you. Has she had any more trouble with Coyote?" He couldn't be certain, but it looked like Niyol's expression darkened at the mention of the master trickster.

"No, we have not had any more dealings with Him."

"Well, that's good to hear." Teddy sat quietly, waiting for Niyol to get to the point, acutely aware of the cold. He didn't seem to be in any hurry, however, perched on the back of the chair and preening his feathers with that wicked beak. He pulled out his wand and cast a Warming Charm, the action catching the bird's attention.

"That is your magic-making device?" he asked, looking at it keenly.

"My wand, yeah. You want to … see it?" Teddy leaned forward and held the wand out for Niyol's inspection. "Hey!" he said when Niyol grabbed it in his beak, scared he would snap it in half. A moment later, the bird dropped it back into his hand, whole and unmarked.

"That wand carries part of my mother," Niyol pronounced, settling back on his perch and shaking his feathers into place.

"Yeah. She gifted me one of her feathers after we helped you hatch. A silver one," Teddy said, putting it safely away in his back pocket. He didn't want to think what he would have done if Niyol had destroyed it.

"It was an admirable gift and very generous of her. Not very many of your kind have been gifted with a thunderbird's feather," he said gravely and Teddy wondered if he meant wizards specifically or humans in general. Ollivander had been amazed that they had two feathers for him to work with.

"It's been a great wand. Ollivander, he's the one that made it, said it'd be great at protection." They were silent again, staring at each other and Teddy was starting to think of excusing himself to bed when Niyol spoke again.

"I need your help, Teddy Lupin."

"My help? Are you sure you don't need Harry or Ginny?" Teddy asked, petting Stuart.

"Your help. I need a Changer."

"A what? A Changer?" Teddy asked, sitting up straight.

"Exactly." Niyol bobbed up and down several times, talons digging into the softer wood of the deck chair. "I have run into some difficulty with a potential mate."

"Wait, you need my help because you're having girl trouble?" The bird looked confused and he waved his hand. "Never mind. What sort of trouble?"

"I have danced her my very best dance and we have flown together through many storms, but Yoki still refuses me," he said, a note of distress coming into his voice.

"Maybe you need some new dance moves?" Teddy said, his smile falling away at Niyol's blank look. "Um, well, maybe she's not the right one?"

"She is the right one, Teddy Lupin. The wind brought her name to me and I flew for many days and nights before I found her here, but she says I must prove myself to her." The magnificent thunderbird took on a dejected aspect, his shoulders slumped.

"What does she want you to do?" Teddy asked, feeling sorry for him. _Women!_ he thought wryly.

"She asks for the impossible before she will consent to be my mate, but I must try. If I did not, I should simply hurl myself into the sea." The bird sat up straighter and spread his wings before folding them once more. "She has asked me for one of Coyote's whiskers."

"What? A coyote whisker?" Teddy asked with a frown.

"No, not just any coyote. That is a task I could complete myself. All I need to do is find one, break its neck and pluck the whisker. She wants one of _Coyote's_ whiskers," he said, the way he said "Coyote" emphasizing the capital letter in the name.

" _The_ Coyote? The same one who played hide and seek with an egg?" Teddy felt a sinking feeling as Niyol bobbed his head in the affirmative again. "Jesus Christ," he murmured, sitting back against his deck chair. "What in the world does she want with that?"

"She will use it when she builds her nest for her first hatching. She says the magic in Coyote's whisker will protect the eggs and fledglings." Niyol started to pace from side to side on the back of the deck chair, talons leaving deep scratches in the wood. "You will help me with this, Teddy Lupin?"

"How in the world will I help you get one of Coyote's whiskers?"

"You are a Changer. You can trick the Trickster," Niyol said confidently.

"Listen, I can change how I look, the color of my hair and stuff, but I don't know how I could possibly trick Coyote," Teddy said, feeling overwhelmed.

"When I grasped your finger in my beak, I felt the possibilities inside of you. Both of your parents were Changers; I felt their magic within you."

Teddy felt as if a cold wind had blown right through him, stealing his breath away and it was several moments before he could speak again. "How … how did you know about my parents?"

"Your magic spreads out all around you for anyone with the senses to feel. I can feel it now, but when I touched you, I was able to Know you truly, Teddy Lupin."

Now it was Teddy's turn to sit silently, the cat purring in his lap and looking speculatively at the giant bird, tail twitching. "I have to think about this, Niyol," he finally said.

"Yes. I have a plan, but it will not be an easy thing."

"That's the understatement of the year. When do you need this whisker? I'm going to be leaving town for a little while soon," he said, thinking of the upcoming Christmas holidays he would be spending in England, surrounded by his Weasley "cousins".

"Yoki must start her nest before the snows fly in the mountains."

"Hm," Teddy grunted, "that's going to be pretty soon."

"Yes. I can feel a storm building out at sea, far to the north. That will bring the first snow."

Teddy sighed and stretched, letting out a prodigious yawn. "Can I give you my answer tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow, Teddy Lupin. I know you will help me win my mate." Niyol fluffed his feathers once more and settled back, the very picture of confidence.

"Hmph, we'll see. Meet me here again tomorrow night at midnight, all right?" Teddy stood, holding on to Stuart.

"Yes. I will meet you here. Until tomorrow." Almost faster than he could follow with his eyes, the bird spread his wings and took off with a small thunderclap.

Teddy shook his head and made his way back to his bed, mind spinning crazily with Niyol's proposition. _One of_ The _Coyote's whiskers for her nest. I will never understand women._

* * *

Teddy opened his eyes, squinting at Harry nudging him in the dim light of his bedroom. "Get up and get your kit on. I'll take you to Mel's after," he said, already dressed for a chilly early-morning run.

Groaning, Teddy complied, the lure of a pile of pancakes proving stronger than the warmth and coziness of his bed. Stumbling around, he managed to get on a pair of tights, his shoes, a long-sleeved shirt and his gloves. A hoodie and a wool beanie snugged down over his ears completed his outfit. Wordlessly, he followed Harry out of the apartment and soon they were jogging comfortably through Marina Green, heading toward the ball park.

Their breath made white plumes in the frigid December air and Teddy thought about asking how far they were going to go, but mentally shrugged; it didn't really make any difference. Well-familiar with Harry's habit of working out his troubles with motion, he knew Harry would stop when he felt like stopping.

This early in the morning, the Embarcadero down by Pier 39 was blessedly deserted and Teddy began to feel that loose and liquid feeling in his muscles and joints despite the cold. Aware of Harry's subtle increase in speed, Teddy applied more speed himself and before too long they flew past the farmer's market vendors just getting set up at the Ferry Building.

The sounds of their harsh breaths and feet pounding the pavement almost in lock step became Teddy's focus, everything else simply fading away into background noise. No bird and its strange request for help, no university applications, no arguments over his desire to be an Auror, no aching void whenever he thought about his parents.

Sweat was pouring off of him as the ball park came into view and he grinned, taking a quick glance at Harry running beside him. He looked like he still had quite a lot of gas in the tank despite their fast pace, but Teddy thought he could still beat him and he put on a sudden burst of speed, sprinting as hard as he could for the statue of Willie Mays straight ahead. He heard Harry give a strangled oath as he took off and laughed madly, making a huge leap onto the base of the statue, giving Willie Mays a hug and kiss on his cold bronze cheek.

"I win!" he shouted, voice echoing around the deserted plaza, holding his hands above his head triumphantly as Harry came to a stop at the base of the statue, squinting up at him.

"I wasn't aware we were racing," he said as he caught his breath.

"Come on. We're always racing," Teddy said, hopping lightly down and pacing around to cool off.

"True. Hungry?"

"Starved." Harry jogged slowly off in the direction of Mel's and the promised pile of pancakes and soon enough, they were seated in a cozy booth, Teddy flipping through the selections available on the table jukebox. "You have any quarters?" he asked.

Shaking his head, Harry took a quick look around and a moment later "Rock Around the Clock" began playing. "Don't ever do that," he said mildly, perusing the menu.

"You're just full of 'do as I say' lately," Teddy muttered, looking at his own menu and avoiding Harry's sharp look. The Lumberjack caught his eye and he put down his menu, looking around at the dazzling array of decorations in the restaurant.

They were quiet after placing their orders and Teddy felt the endorphins generated by the run leaving his body as he stirred his coffee, avoiding his godfather's eyes until he heard Harry give a long sigh. He knew that Harry hadn't dragged him out of bed in the frigid early dawn on a Sunday to simply have a run and he tried to stay relaxed and open, but he was finding it more and more difficult lately.

"Teddy," Harry said quietly and he dragged his eyes away from an American Graffiti movie poster to look at him, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What?" He took off his wool hat and fluffed his hair as a distraction.

"Have Ginny or I done something to make you unhappy?" Harry asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Teddy frowned. "No. You guys are great." Harry nodded and looked down, spinning his coffee mug around. Shifting uncomfortably in the booth, Teddy desperately tried to think of something else to say as the silence between them spun out. "I mean, you guys have James now and …" he said, trailing off into a diffident shrug.

Looking back up at him, Harry frowned. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Teddy shrugged again, eyes skipping over the tacky restaurant decorations. "I dunno. He's yours, isn't he?" Staring hard at the poster showing a cartoonish carhop on roller skates, he subtly used his magic to prevent the tears he felt stinging his eyes. _And I'm not._

"Do you think we had him to replace you?" Harry asked slowly.

"No," Teddy sighed, still staring at the image of the woman.

"Then what's going on?"

Shifting his eyes away from the lurid poster, he settled back against the booth and sighed, finally looking back at his godfather. Harry sat across from him, messy black hair giving him an air of rumpled casualness that Teddy could never quite replicate despite his best efforts. "Nothing. Everything. I dunno."

Lifting an eyebrow, Harry took another sip of coffee. "I see."

Leaning forward, Teddy set his elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands, glad Ginny wasn't here to yell at him. "It's like … I'm graduating and I have to make all of these _decisions._ All of this _stuff_ and it's like if I mess up or don't choose the right thing, then I'm buggered for the rest of my life, right?"

Harry nodded, a small smile on his lips and Teddy went on. "Like these university applications. What if I apply to the wrong one? Or don't get accepted? Then what do I do? I can't go on sponging off of you and Ginny for the rest of my life, can I?"

"You don't sponge."

"It feels like it sometimes. School's not free here like Hogwarts is."

"I get a pretty good discount," Harry said and Teddy felt himself relax a little bit. "Your education is our responsibility and we take it very seriously." The waiter brought their breakfasts and they both dug in, mutually agreeing to table their discussion while they filled their bellies. The jukebox on the table continued to cycle through songs and he wondered how long the spell Harry had put on it would last.

As they ate, Teddy wondered where Kelly would like to go for dinner before the Winter Formal. _Probably someplace really nice. I wonder if I could convince her to go to Fenton's? Oh, does she like Indian? There's that place over by Cal …_ Mopping up syrup with his last bit of pancake, Harry's voice startled him out his thoughts of Kelly and their impending date.

"You know Gin and I love you, right?" Harry said, pushing aside his empty plate.

"I know," Teddy said, trying not to squirm at the word. It wasn't something he and Harry said to each other often, for all that he said it all the time to Ginny.

"And … we think of ourselves as your parents." Teddy waited for Harry to say more as his godfather finished his coffee, shaking his head at the waiter that offered more. "Do you think of us like that?" he asked, sounding hesitant.

Teddy chewed slowly, considering his question. They'd never really had a discussion on what he should call them when he came to stay. When he was little and still living in England with his gran, Harry had always simply been 'Harry' to him. Ginny was 'Ginny' and Ron was 'Ron'. When Hermione came back to stay, that extended to her and to pretty much every other adult in his life. Sometimes George would insist on an outlandish title, but that was more of a game between the two of them. The only exceptions were Mr and Mrs Weasley, try as they might to get him to call them simply Arthur and Molly; it just didn't feel right with them.

"Well, when we're at school, you're my teacher Mr Potter and when we're at home, you're Harry, you know?" he said, shrugging helplessly. As long as he could remember, he'd known that he had people who loved him and took care of him, but as far as he was concerned, his parents were dead.

Harry nodded, accepting his pronouncement, even though his expression clearly said that he wished it were otherwise. "Fair enough, I suppose. I was only seventeen when you were born, so that makes me more of a much older brother," he mused.

"A very stern older brother," Teddy supplied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You can't help how you feel, yeah? I don't know how I would have reacted if Sirius had waltzed in and tried to replace my Mum and Dad." He shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. "Oh, he would have been a terrible parent. Would've let me run wild in the streets. Did I ever tell you that he had a flying motorcycle?"

"Like Mr Weasley's flying car? That you and Ron took to Hogwarts?" Teddy asked eagerly. He always enjoyed hearing stories of the sunnier side of Harry's eventful youth, hoping to parlay it into some information about his own mother and father.

"I think Arthur got the idea from Sirius," Harry said, looking at the bill. He left some money on the table and they walked out of the restaurant, Harry telling Teddy about the last time he left Privet Drive. Teddy especially loved hearing about his mother escorting the Polyjuiced Ron. He did a bit of math and realized that she might have even been pregnant with him on that daring escapade. _I might have been there!_

They took their time walking home, the streets of the City waking up around them. They passed several sidewalk sleepers and Harry always had something for those that asked. Teddy had no idea where he was managing to keep cash in his running tights this morning, but he always had a bill or two. He'd even seen him cast a few wandless spells before—Cleaning Charms or minor Healing—always something that wouldn't be noticed until long after he'd passed.

When Teddy had first come to live in San Francisco, he'd been frightened by the strange men and women. "Why did you do that?" he'd asked the first time he'd seen Harry cast a wandless Scourgify on a man's filthy bedding while giving him a few dollars.

"Some people don't know how to ask for the help they need, Teddy. I can help a bit, so I do."

"But that man didn't do anything for you," Teddy said, looking back at the man that was now inspecting his newly-cleaned blankets a little suspiciously.

"That doesn't matter. You put out into the world what you hope to get back," Harry said patiently. "That's something Voldemort and the Death Eaters never understood."

Thinking back on that now made him think of Niyol and his request for help in winning his lady bird's heart. They walked on, Teddy deep in thought when he almost walked into an old man wrapped in a brightly-patterned blanket. "Sorry," he said, reaching out to steady him.

The man was cleaner than your average street-sleeper and his white hair was in two neat braids. He smiled widely at Teddy, teeth white in his dark face. "No harm done, young man. I can tell you have something weighing on your mind, distracting you from what's in front of you."

Up ahead, Harry turned around to see what was holding him up, the beginnings of a frown on his face. "Yeah, I guess I do," Teddy said sheepishly. "Do you, um, need anything?"

"I have the sun in the sky, my feet on the ground and the wind at my back. Also, I have this very nice blanket. I have all I need, Teddy Lupin," the old man said, causing Teddy to take a step back.

"What? How do you—" he started, but the old man shuffled off faster than he would have thought possible.

"All right?" Harry asked, joining him on the sidewalk.

Teddy watched the old man's rapidly retreating back and shook his head. _That bird has gotten into my head and now I'm hearing things._ "Yeah, fine. I wasn't looking where I was going and almost knocked that guy over." He thought about telling Harry about Niyol's visit and strange request, but hesitated. _I need to talk this over with someone first._ "Hey, can I go over to Duncan's this afternoon?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, so wait. Let me make sure I have this straight," Duncan said, holding his hands out in front of him. "A bunch of years ago, you ran into this bird on vacation and now it's back asking you to help it?"

"Basically," Teddy said from Duncan's bed. He was on his back, tossing a tennis ball up and down, trying to see how close he could get it to the ceiling without actually hitting it. "Ginny has a habit of attracting magical creatures that need help, and Hehewuti, that's Niyol's mum, got us to help her find the egg that Coyote had hidden."

"Uh huh." Duncan stood up from his desk chair and paced around the room, hands behind his back. "So now he's all grown up and is trying to get married or whatever birds do."

"Right."

"And his girl bird is demanding one of Coyote's whiskers for her nest or whatever."

"Right."

"And this Niyol thinks you can help him."

"Apparently so." Teddy caught the ball and sat up, watching as Duncan absorbed and sorted the information.

"And how does he think you can do that?" he asked, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. He held his hand out for the tennis ball and Teddy tossed it to him.

"Dunno. Says he has a plan, but he hasn't said what it is yet." He watched as Duncan tossed the ball from hand to hand.

"What makes you so fucking special?" he asked, mouth falling open in amazement when Teddy lengthened his arm and snatched the ball mid-toss from across the room.

"That's pretty fucking special, don't you think?" he said smugly, tossing it back to Duncan. "He said I can 'trick the Trickster', so I'm assuming that my Metamorphmagus abilities come into play." Duncan nodded and picked up his pacing again. "What do you think?" Teddy asked after a few moments. "Should I do it?"

Arresting his pacing, Duncan stopped and looked at him, eyes narrowed speculatively. "When do you meet this bird again?"

"Supposed to be midnight tonight."

"I want to be there when you meet. I'll tell my folks we need to work on a project together tonight."

"Hmm … for what class? Harry keeps pretty close tabs …" Teddy said with a frown, trying to think of a class they could plausibly be working on an extra credit assignment for.

"Can't be history. Him and Ms Okefor have lunch all the time. Transfiguration?"

"Mmm, that's more of a solo pursuit. How about Herbology? We could say we need to harvest something in the dark?"

"Nah, if we said we had to leave the house, one of them would want to come with us," Duncan said, shaking his head. "Potions?"

"That's an idea." Teddy tapped his finger against his lips, cycling through potions in his mind. "I could say that I'm helping you with a make-up potion."

"A make-up potion?" Duncan snorted. "I end up helping you more than you help me."

"Yeah, but Harry doesn't know that. Unless he does …" Teddy shook his head. "No, he knows all of my grades, but not all of the details. Yeah, I think that'll work. We'll see if we can sneak Niyol into the lab." He took out his phone and tapped out a quick message, grinning at the answering buzz. "He says fine. He'll do a proper Sunday roast."

"Sweet. Would that include Yorkshire puddings, by any chance?" Duncan asked eagerly.

"Um, he says sure," Teddy said as Duncan leaned his head back and let his mouth hang open, quietly mumbling, "Yorkshire pudding…"

* * *

"So Duncan, do you have a date for the Winter Formal?" Ginny asked as they sat down to dinner. The two boys had piled their plates with roast beef, potatoes, carrots and Yorkshire puddings, drowning the whole thing in lashings of gravy.

Teddy stifled a laugh as Duncan was caught in the middle of rolling his eyes in ecstasy as he chewed, swallowing quickly. "Um, yeah. I'm going with Alison Williams."

"You're going with Awwww?" Harry asked, using Alison's nickname. She adored animals and had picked up the appellation during her first year of Care of Magical Creatures. "Let me guess—did she say 'Awwwwww' when you asked her?"

Ginny shot Harry a look and handed James a pudding to tear apart. "Harry, don't make fun," she chided.

"Oh, no, it's true. She says that about everything," Duncan said. "Animals, babies, sunsets …"

"Patronuses," Teddy interjected, vividly remembering her squeal when he'd cast his first corporeal Patronus on the Golden Gate Bridge. He'd been dumbfounded when the silvery wolf burst out of his wand and bounded toward the Dementor, but he still heard Alison in the group behind him, "Awwwww, it's a wolf!"

"Yeah, that, too." Duncan shrugged and continued to plow through his dinner. "Anyway, I heard her talking to Jeanine about how no one had asked her yet and I thought she was cute, so I asked her," he said, his casual tone belied by his blush. Teddy caught Harry mouthing, "Five dollars," to Ginny and shook his head.

"Harry, speaking of the dance, you said I could use the car for me and Kelly. Can I pick up Duncan and Alison, too?" Teddy asked, choosing the moment to capitalize on his godfather's current good humor.

"Hmm, I believe our bargain for you using the car was completing two university applications, including the essays, correct?" Harry said, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, sir," Teddy affirmed, glancing at Duncan and willing him to stay quiet.

"All right. If you want to take along Duncan and Alison, then you have to finish three. Before the dance." Teddy opened his mouth, but Harry held up his finger. "And you can't just copy the same essay to all of them. I'll be reading them over," he said and Teddy felt a bit of his elation deflate. But only a bit.

"Thank you ever so much, sir. I shall endeavor to be as careful as I can so as not to bring any harm to either my dear friends or your marvelous automobile," he said, deliberately playing up his English accent.

"See that you don't," Harry said, giving him a stern look. "That car is in pristine condition and I'd hate to take any scratches out of your hide."

Teddy gave him a salute and turned his attention to his plate, half-listening to Ginny and Duncan chat about dress robes, perking up when he heard his name. "Wait, what?" he asked around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, love," Ginny admonished with a frown. "I said we're going on Wednesday for new dress robes for you."

"We are?" Teddy asked, swallowing carefully. "Um, I'm busy that day."

"No, you're not," Harry said, taking a sip of wine.

"You are no help," Teddy sighed, knowing it was useless to fight against Ginny once she'd made a decision. "What time?"

"We have an appointment for 5:30 at Marianne's."

"Marianne's? Wow," Duncan said, pouring gravy into his third Yorkshire pudding. "That place is super expensive."

"Yeah, Ginny, are you sure?" Teddy didn't know quite how to feel about having that much money spent on him just for something to wear to a dance.

"Well, I figure you're pretty close to your full growth, so we'll spend the money now and you'll have a set of robes to last you for a while. We'll have them made with a bit of extra material for letting out if you do get a couple more inches on you." She smiled at him and he felt a flush of warmth come over him. "Besides," she continued, fixing her eyes on Harry. "Don't think you're off the hook."

"What? Me? My robes are fine," Harry protested.

"Harry, those robes are at least ten years old. You haven't had new since before you moved here."

"Yeah, but I'm done growing."

"Growing up, maybe," Ginny said with a pointed look at his piled plate. Teddy and Duncan grinned at each other; it was always satisfying when she got a good one on Harry.

"Fine, 5:30," he grumbled, defiantly spearing another slice of roast.

"That was amazing, Mr Potter," Duncan finally groaned, pushing himself away from the table and rubbing his distended stomach. "I have the most beautiful food baby now."

"Thank you, Duncan." Harry stood up and stretched his arms high over his head. "Well, I cooked, so you know what that means." He pointed his fingers and waved at Teddy, Duncan and Ginny. "You get to clean up."

"I have to see to James," Ginny said quickly, standing up and picking up the baby. James let the handfuls of Yorkshire pudding crumbs fall to the floor, grabbing double handfuls of her hair instead. "It's time for your bath, young man!"

Teddy and Duncan looked at the remains of dinner on the table and the mess James had left all over the floor, knowing that more waited for them in the kitchen. "Well, it could be worse," Duncan shrugged, stacking up plates. "We could be Muggles."

While they were in the middle of washing up, Harry came in and leaned casually against the breakfast bar, arms crossed. "After you're done here, feel like a bit of cards?" he asked.

Teddy paused in putting away the serving platter, looking at his godfather, their conversation that morning coming to his mind. _Trying to be the cool older brother or the cool dad?_ "Well, we have that potions stuff to do …"

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Duncan doesn't need to do a make-up potion. He's got better marks than you." Nodding at Duncan, he grinned. "You just wanted my Yorkshire pudding."

Teddy shot a look at his friend, relieved to see Duncan's usual cocky grin in place. "You got me. I've tried to get mom to make them, but they never turn out as good as yours."

"You're on then. Poker?" Teddy set the enormous serving platter carefully on the shelf. It had been a wedding present from Bill and Fleur and he knew that Ginny would never forgive him if he broke it. He considered it a very good thing she didn't know it had already been broken and repaired once already.

Harry nodded and left the kitchen. A moment later Teddy heard him digging in the game closet for the set of poker chips and he exchanged a wide-eyed look with Duncan. "I told you that bullshit potions story wouldn't be any good," Duncan said quietly, draining the soapy water from the sink.

Teddy shuffled the deck of cards, the feeling of them in his hands reassuring as he manipulated them. Duncan gave him a raised eyebrow as he shuffled one-handed, muttering "Showoff," under his breath.

"You're letting him shuffle?" Harry asked as he took his seat at the table, setting down a giant bowl of pretzels in front of Duncan.

"It's either that or listen to him whine and fuss." Unperturbed, Teddy gave his best friend a sunny smile and continued riffling the cards.

"You're just jealous because you can't do this," he said, executing an elaborate one-handed shuffle and bridge.

"I can't because I can't make my fingers three feet long," Duncan snorted through a mouthful of pretzels.

Harry grinned, passing out piles of multi-colored chips. "Deal me in," Ginny said, sitting down at the other end of the table.

"James down for the night?" Harry asked, piling chips up in front of her.

"With any luck. I seem to be a bit short on twenty-five-dollar chips." She smiled sweetly at Harry, holding out her hand as he dropped four more into it.

"Good thing it's Ladies' Night," Teddy said as he finished shuffling with a flourish and turned his attention to sorting his chips.

"Teddy, the sooner you learn it's always Ladies' Night, the better," Ginny said, taking a handful of pretzels from the bowl.

"Truer words were never spoken. Now, what's your pleasure tonight?" Harry scooped a huge handful of pretzels out of the bowl and shoved nearly all of them into his mouth, making Ginny shake her head in dismay.

"Hmm." Teddy pursed his lips in thought, looking around at his competition. "I think we'll do Texas Hold 'Em tonight. Sound good?"

"Yes!" Duncan pumped his fist in the air. "You guys are going down!"

"Settle down there, big boy," Ginny said. "I don't want you to go crying to your mummy when I take all of your chips."

Teddy shook his head as Ginny and Duncan continued to trash talk, focusing on the feel of the cards in his hands. He was trying to train himself to figure out which cards were which based on the weight in his hands. _A face card has more ink than an ace or a deuce and there's a tiny difference._

"Now what need would an Auror have for telling cards apart when they're face down?" Duncan had asked when he'd watched Teddy practice one lazy afternoon.

"You never know when a skill will come in handy," Teddy had said loftily. "Bet you that's a ten." He flicked the card at his friend, hitting him in the middle of his forehead.

Duncan flipped him off and looked at the card, showing him the ten of hearts. "Fucking creepy."

"All right lady and gentlemen, place your bets. Ginny, you're small blind, Harry, you're big." Teddy dealt the initial hand and focused his attention on his opponents, giving his cards only a cursory glance. _Seven and ten. Suck city._ Duncan opened the first round of betting, throwing in a ten-dollar chip. Teddy and Ginny followed suit with Harry checking. Teddy dealt the flop, turning up a four of hearts, queen of spades and jack of diamonds.

Duncan grunted, fingers hovering over his chips. He checked his cards and shrugged, throwing in another ten dollars, looking expectantly at Teddy. Keeping his face impassive, he also tossed ten dollars into the pot. Ginny folded, giving him a pointed look as she excused herself to get a drink.

Harry stayed in with ten, causing Teddy to raise an eyebrow. _Let's see what the turn brings us._ He laid down the fourth card face up, this one the queen of diamonds and he saw Duncan's cheeks go pink out of the corner of his eye. _Terrible poker face._

Feigning disinterest, Duncan tossed in another ten, the chips making clinking sounds as they landed on top of the others. Ginny came back with a Coke and stood behind Harry, peeping at his cards. "Oh, nice," she said approvingly.

"Do you mind?" Harry asked, taking a long swallow of her drink.

"Not at all." She bent and gave him a peck on the lips before resuming her seat. She made a grab for Teddy's cards, but he moved them out of the way before she could lay her hands on them.

"No good anyway. I fold."

"Weak," Duncan taunted through another mouthful of pretzels. "Come on Harry, make it interesting."

"All right." Harry tossed in a twenty-five-dollar chip and Teddy squinted at him, looking for his tell. Sometimes when he was bluffing, he ran the tip of his index finger over the top of his ear, but there was no evidence of it right now. Either he was getting better at controlling himself or he actually had a good hand.

Now it was Duncan's turn and Teddy could read him like a book. His hand was okay, but he didn't have full confidence in it to call Harry's twenty-five-dollar bet, but he was sorely tempted by the money in the pot. Duncan liked to win early and often and the only question was would he try to bluff his way through by raising Harry or would he just call to get to the river?

"I call." _He's bluffing._ Another clink and Teddy dealt another card face-up, a ten of clubs. _Dangit, could have had two pair. Oh well._ He watched as Harry sat stone-faced, index fingers steepled under his chin. His hole cards were face down on the table in front of him and he glanced at briefly at Ginny who shrugged and took another swallow of Coke.

"Your call, love."

"Hey, no double-teaming!" Duncan objected, practically vibrating in his seat.

"Fine. I raise … fifty," Harry said, tossing two twenty-five-dollar chips into the pot. Duncan sucked in a breath and suddenly sat very still, eyes darting between the pot and Harry's impassive face. He looked at Teddy for guidance and he spread his hands wide, shaking his head.

"Sorry, man. You're on your own."

"You're on, Harry." Duncan tossed two of his own twenty-five-dollar chips in. "Let's see what you've got."

Harry flipped over his hole cards, revealing a queen and a ten. "Two pair. Show me."

Duncan groaned and turned his over, showing a ten and a four. "You stayed in with that?" Teddy asked, looking at his friend incredulously.

Shrugging, Duncan grabbed another handful of pretzels. "I thought he was bluffing."

"He wasn't bluffing, I could tell."

Harry paused in counting up his winnings. "How can you tell when I'm bluffing?"

"Duh, Harry, you have a tell. Everyone has a tell."

Frowning, Harry looked at Ginny. "Do I have a tell?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you and give away my advantage. Shuffle those for me will you, Teddy?" Teddy obliged, forgoing the theatrics this time as he shuffled the cards efficiently, handing the deck to Ginny to cut. "All right. Harry, you're small blind, Duncan you're big. Lay your money down."

The evening progressed and Teddy's chips ebbed and flowed like the tides in the bay. They weren't actually playing for money, so he wasn't overly concerned with the pile in front of him, but was more interested in studying his opponents. Ginny thought she was rock solid, but he'd learned to watch her nose when the cards came out; when she had a good hand, the tip got very pink and her nostrils flared.

Duncan was almost too easy; he wiggled around like a golden retriever puppy trying to sit still when he thought he had something good. Like right now, he could tell that he was desperately trying to keep it together as he went against Ginny, whose nose was very pink indeed. Harry was dealer and dealt the river, showing an ace of clubs, the queen of clubs, the jack of diamonds, three of clubs and the four of spades.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Duncan who had put on his best "Who me?" expression, the one he saved for the occasional Potions mishap. "One hundred," she said, tossing a chip down with finality.

Teddy shifted his gaze to Duncan and couldn't help but grin at the sight of his best friend trying to keep it together in the face of Ginny's boldness. "Are you sure you want to do that, Ginny?" Duncan said, voice dripping with skepticism.

"Oh, I'm sure." Her nostrils twitched and Teddy raised an eyebrow at Harry. _I bet she's got a straight. Or a flush._

"Duncan?" Harry prompted.

"Yeah, all right. Show me what you've got." Duncan tossed in a hundred-dollar chip, face flooding with red. _I've got to get him to control that or he's going to be shit as an Auror._

Ginny flipped her cards, showing a flush with the king of clubs and the four of clubs. Duncan turned his, showing the king of spades and the ten of hearts for a straight. "I win!" Ginny crowed, reaching out to sweep the impressive pot towards her.

"Man, that's no fair. That was the best hand I've had all night," Duncan groused. "Are there any more pretzels?"

"You know where they are," Harry said, shuffling the cards. "Get me a Coke while you're up, yeah?" Duncan saluted and clicked his heels together before sauntering into the kitchen in search of more snacks.

"Hey, who taught you how to play poker, anyway?" Teddy had been curious as to where Harry had learned such a thoroughly Muggle game for a while now, but usually forgot to ask once the game was underway.

"Oh, Charlie taught us ages ago over Christmas. I gather there's not a lot to do in the dragon camps in Romania when the dragons are quiet. You remember that, Gin?"

"I remember taking all of your Christmas money," she said with an air of superiority.

"And then Ron taking it all from you if I recall correctly." Ginny stuck her tongue out at her husband and got up from the table.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to use the ladies'."

Teddy listened to Duncan banging around in the kitchen, glad for the one-way Silencing Charm on the nursery. "So how did Charlie learn? I don't imagine too many Muggles go wandering into the middle of a bunch of dragons."

"He actually learned it from your mum," Harry said, sending a thrill shooting through Teddy's stomach.

"What? Mum knew how to play? Who taught her?"

"Your granddad. You know he was Muggle-born, right?" Teddy nodded and Harry set aside the cards he'd been shuffling. "According to Charlie, Ted taught your mum the summer before fourth year and she set the school on fire with it."

"With Texas Hold 'Em?"

"Nah, wasn't as popular then. Five card I think it was."

"Stud or draw?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Probably draw; that's what Charlie taught us. He did say she was excellent at it and rarely lost."

"Well, being a Metamorphmagus _does_ come in handy for some situations." Teddy felt a swell of happiness at having discovered another similarity with his mother. "I wonder if her and my dad ever played?"

"Hm, I don't know for sure, but I do know that if anyone could get Remus to sit down and play a game, it'd be your mum."

* * *

"Just like I said, I've taken all your chips," Ginny said to Duncan, sweeping the multi-colored pile toward her with both hands. She made an exaggerated sad face at him. "Are you going to go crying to your mummy now about how I've left you broken and destitute?"

Duncan guzzled the last of his Coke and belched loudly. "I'm over it. Gambling gains never lead to anything good." He affected a lofty expression, but Teddy wasn't fooled for a second; he knew that losing all of his chips to Ginny really smarted. He made sure to clink his own remaining chips as loud as he could, giving Duncan an innocent smile.

Stretching and yawning, Teddy caught a glance at the time on his watch. _Eleven-thirty. Duncan and I had better get out to the roof soon or else Niyol might try and break in._ "I think we can declare Ginny the winner tonight," he said as she continued to stack up her chips.

"Oh, you quitting already? Are you afraid I'm going to take all of your chips too?"

"Yes. I have to keep what little dignity I have." Teddy finished his own coke and turned to Harry. "Is it all right if Duncan stays the night?"

"It's all right with your folks?" Harry asked, gathering up all of the chips and putting them away.

"Yeah, you can check if you want."

"I'm sure we'd hear something if you didn't show up when you were supposed to." Harry closed the lid of the chip case and stood up from the table with a stretch of his own. He held out his hand and the boys put their phones in it.

"All right. Well, we're going to head to bed. Got an early morning." Teddy bent and kissed the cheek Ginny presented to him, Duncan close behind him.

"What time are we meeting that bird?" Duncan asked once they were in his room, pushing the curtains of his window open to look outside.

"Midnight. Here, turn out the light and we'll lay low." Teddy shut off his lamp and stretched out on his bed while Duncan sat in his desk chair.

"Are you, uh, listening?"

"Yeah, keep quiet." Teddy enhanced his hearing enough to hear the quiet sounds of conversation without the actual words as his godparents got ready for bed. He heard the sound of Ginny's footsteps as she checked on James one more time and then more conversation from their bedroom.

"You ever hear anything you weren't supposed to?" Duncan asked, interrupting his concentration.

Teddy felt a rush of heat come to his face and he wished he had something handy to throw at him. "Shut up."

"You have! Oh man, I don't know what I'd do if I heard my parents—"

"I said shut it!" Teddy hissed, throwing his pillow at him. "I need to concentrate. D'you want to get caught sneaking out?"

"We should have gotten Harry's invisibility cloak," Duncan said, throwing the pillow back at him.

"As if. Harry's got that thing under a Blood Lock."

"My dad says you can break those, same as a Blood Seal."

"Fine. _You_ can be the one Harry catches, then."

"No, thank you. Being caught stealing by a pissed-off Harry Potter is not high on my list things I'd like to accomplish," Duncan shuddered.

"Me, either." Teddy concentrated once more, becoming certain that Harry and Ginny were down for the night. The glowing hands on his watch said five minutes to midnight and almost as if on cue, the sound of a bronze beak pecking on glass came from his window.

"What's that?" Duncan whispered, approaching the window. "Holy shit, dude, is that it?"

Teddy opened the window, looking at Niyol perched on the ledge. "You're early."

"Teddy Lupin, it is the time for you to give me your answer," the thunderbird said, his voice utterly serious.

"Yes, but this is not the place. I told you, the rooftop."

"But I am already here."

"But Harry and Ginny will hear you. Rooftop. We'll be there shortly, all right?" Teddy closed the window and the curtains on Niyol's affronted expression, hunting around for his trainers and putting them on.

"Dude, that thing is huge!" Duncan shoved his feet into his own shoes and pulled on his hoodie, zipping it all the way up.

"I know. I dunno why he doesn't just go up against Coyote himself. He's bloody well big enough." Teddy held up his hand when Duncan looked ready to speak once more, listening closely. "I think we're good. We're going to have to be super quiet, though."

"Too bad I can't Apparate silently."

"Trust me, I've been thinking of that all night."

A few minutes later, they were up on the deserted rooftop terrace, breath blowing thick white plumes in the frigid air. Niyol was perched on the same deck chair as before, fixing Teddy with a golden-eyed glare.

"Sorry about making you wait. Had to make sure the coast was clear." Teddy gestured to Duncan, who was staring at the thunderbird in undisguised amazement. "This is Duncan Sutton, my best friend."

Niyol seemed mollified by his apology and bobbed his head, turning his gaze on Duncan. "I am Niyol," he said ruffling and settling his feathers.

"I'm Duncan Sutton," Duncan said, eyes wide as he gazed at the thunderbird. "I'm sorry if this seems rude, but can I touch you?"

Niyol stood up straighter, his expression managing to take on a magnanimous expression. "You may." Duncan reached out a hand to stroke his wing, letting out a cry as Niyol turned his head and grabbed his hand in that wickedly sharp beak, releasing it a split-second later.

"What was that?" Duncan asked, checking his hand for any injury and finding none. "Did you know he was going to do that?"

"I suspected that might happen." Teddy shrugged helplessly. "He did it to me right after he hatched. It seems to be how he gets to know people."

Duncan wiped his hand on his jeans, shooting the bird a dark look. "A little bit of warning would have been nice."

"Suck it up, you big baby; he didn't even do anything." Teddy looked back at Niyol, calmly perched on the deck chair and sat down in the chair opposite, motioning for Duncan to sit in the one next to it. "So I told Duncan today about what you asked me to do."

"Get Coyote's whisker so that I may win Yoki as my mate," Niyol said, bobbing his head again. "You will do this, Teddy Lupin?"

Duncan held up his hand. "Now, before he gives you an answer, we need to hear your plan. He said you had one?"

"Yes, Duncan Sutton, I have an excellent plan."

They waited a few moments for him to elaborate before Duncan spoke again. "So, what is your plan?"

"I will tell you where Coyote has his den. You will go in while he is sleeping and pluck a whisker and bring it to me," he said proudly, preening his wing.

"Um, that's not really a plan," Teddy said with a frown.

"It is. It tells you exactly what will occur."

Teddy exchanged a look with Duncan and turned back to the bird. "Niyol, at best that's an outline. Where is the den? What time does Coyote sleep? How am I getting to the den? How am I going to get a whisker without waking him up? What's our exit strategy? What do we do if things go wrong?"

"I have narrowed down his den location to somewhere on Tuyshtak."

"Where is that? Is that even anywhere near here?"

"It is the high mountain over there," Niyol said, gesturing to the east with his wing.

"Mt Diablo?" Duncan asked Teddy.

"I guess. Mt Tam is in the opposite direction. Okay, that doesn't settle the other questions, though," Teddy said, crossing his arms and looking at the bird.

Niyol looked back at him, golden eyes unreadable. "You are the Changer," he said simply, giving him a surprisingly human shrug.

"Yes, I can change how I look, I got that." He looked out toward the Golden Gate Bridge, visualizing one of his puzzles, trying to see a way to accomplish Niyol's goal.

"What about making yourself really small?" Duncan asked and Teddy shook his head.

"Well, I could make myself smaller, but I keep the same mass, remember? I'd be a hundred-and-fifty-pound flea. Not very good for sneaking around."

"What about a sleeping spell?"

Teddy considered Duncan's suggestion and shook his head slowly. "Coyote is pretty much a deity. I'm not sure that magic would even work on him. Besides, he'd probably be more pissed off than Harry if he caught you at it," he said, grinning at his friend.

Niyol shifted around on his perch, talons scoring the wood. "Will you help me, Teddy Lupin?" he asked anxiously.

Teddy sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Are you sure she wouldn't be just as dazzled by a really pretty flower?"

"I have brought her many gifts, but she will not consent to be my mate until this task is complete."

"What about your mum? What does Hehewuti have to say about all this?" Teddy asked, cocking his head to one side.

"My mother said that I must do whatever she asks of me to win her. She told me tales of her suitors and the tasks she set before them. Only my father was able to prove himself worthy." He fluffed out his feathers, making himself look larger and more imposing. "This is the way of thunderbird females to ensure progeny capable of riding the strongest of winds."

"Boy, it's a good thing Kelly hasn't asked you for anything crazy. Yet," Duncan said, smirking at Teddy who gave a short bark of laughter.

"And you said you have to have this whisker before the first snow in the mountains? And winter break is in two weeks. That's not a lot of time," he mused, unconsciously cycling his hair color through the rainbow spectrum as he thought. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll help you. I can't guarantee success, but I'll do my best, all right?"

The thunderbird bobbed his head up and down excitedly, spreading his wings and almost knocking over an umbrella. "Yes, Teddy Lupin! Our hatchlings will be such as have not been seen for many generations!"

"Uh, that's good to hear. Listen, I still need to come up with a plan. What's the best way to get a hold of you if I need to talk?" Teddy asked, steadying the rocking umbrella.

"Call my name and the winds will carry it to me."

"Cool. What if I can't call you directly and Duncan needs to?" Teddy asked.

Niyol folded his wings and looked at Duncan steadily for several moments before giving one single bob of his head. "I will respond to his call as well, save it is for something foolish."

Duncan put his hand against his chest and gave the bird an amazed look. "Me? Foolish? Never."

"I don't know that he gets sarcasm, Dunk. I promise you, if he calls you, it'll be because I can't for whatever reason," Teddy said. Still cycling through ideas, he glanced at his watch, wincing at the time. "All right. I'm going to do some research on Coyote. I might need to ask you some questions, so don't go too far, okay?"

"Yes, Teddy Lupin. When will you have the whisker?"

"I don't even have a plan yet! Keep your pants on!"

"He's not wearing pants, Ted," Duncan said in a loud whisper.

"You're the worst," Teddy muttered, standing up and stretching his arms high over his head. "All right. I'll let you know when I've got a plan, okay?"

"Yes, Teddy Lupin. You will get the whisker and I will win Yoki's heart. There will be many songs sung about our first mating," Niyol said, a little sizzle of lightning coursing down his breast.

"Uh, good?"

Niyol cocked his head at him and Teddy swore he was almost smiling. "Have you had your first mating yet, Teddy Lupin?"

Teddy felt a hot flush prickle all over his body at the question. "Um …" he began, but he was interrupted by the thunderbird snapping out his wings with a sharp _crack_.

"I shall hear from you soon, Teddy Lupin," he said before launching his body into the sky, becoming the merest dot in seconds.

"Huh. So that's a thunderbird," Duncan said, standing next to Teddy. He put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it companionably. "I can't believe you just got asked if you're a virgin by a bird."


	5. Chapter 5

Teddy hovered high above St Ambrose's Quidditch pitch, keeping a sharp eye out for a telltale glint of gold in the waning afternoon light. Official practices were done until they were back from the Christmas break, but Teddy and a few of the others were missing being up in the air and had convened an informal game after their last midterm of the day and Teddy was playing Seeker against Ishikawa.

"None of your tricks now," she admonished before they'd kicked off from the field.

"Jenny, you wound me," he said, batting his eyelashes innocently as he placed a hand against his chest as if stricken by her suspicion.

"Sell your bullshit to someone else, Lupin, I'm not buying."

"That's because you're full up already," Duncan said, quickly soaring into the air to get away from her.

Flying around made Teddy think of Niyol and his crazy request to help him win the heart of his ladylove. He'd spent the days since their last rooftop meeting reading everything he could find about Coyote, hoping that he'd stumble across something that would give him the faintest idea of where to start looking for a clue to the location of Coyote's den.

He and Duncan had talked long into the night after their meeting with the thunderbird, coming up with and rejecting a dozen different courses of action. "What about using a Summoning Charm?" Duncan asked from his prone position on the floor.

" _Accio_ Coyote's whisker?" Teddy snorted. "You heard Niyol, his den's not even on this plane. I don't know about you, but I've never heard of an inter-dimensional Summoning Charm."

"Well, you've never _not_ heard of one either," he said, sounding put out. "We could fly all over Mt Diablo."

"It's huge. We'd be there forever."

"Yeah, and that bird doesn't seem like the patient type, does he?"

"No. Besides, we don't even know what we're looking for. The den entrance could be anything. A cave, a hole in a riverbank, a crack in a cliff …" Teddy trailed off, expertly manipulating the Rubik's Cube in his hands. "We'll have to do some reading, I guess."

"What about asking Harry?"

"No way," Teddy said quickly.

Duncan sat up and crossed his legs, looking at him curiously. "Why not?"

Teddy shrugged and put aside the puzzle. "Niyol asked _me_ , not Harry."

"So? You asked _me_ for help."

Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, Teddy ran his fingers through his hair. "If I told Harry about what Niyol wants, he'd probably tell me it's too dangerous and then he'd take over and be all _Harry Potter_ about it, you know?" He avoided looking at Duncan and picked at a loose thread on the duvet. "He's been on me about applying to the Aurors."

"What? On you like how?" Duncan asked, frowning as he reached for the perfectly-solved Rubik's Cube.

"He doesn't want me to apply. We had a row after the game yesterday. He was on me about taking a gap year to figure out what I wanted to do and when I told him that I didn't want to because I'd be a year behind you in the Academy, he accused you of bullying me into applying." Teddy winced at his friend's affronted expression, remembering that awful conversation.

"He said what? That I was bullying you?"

"Well, he asked if you'd put me up to it. Like it wasn't my own idea."

"But your mom was an Auror, so why wouldn't you want to be one?"

"Yeah, and so was Harry." Teddy shook his head. "I don't get it, man. I want to help people; what's so wrong with that?" They sat in silence for several moments before Teddy glanced at the clock, wincing at the time. He stretched and got up, taking the sleeping bag out of his closet and throwing it at Duncan. "Let's get some sleep. I need you at one hundred percent to charm the librarian tomorrow."

 _But nothing yet,_ Teddy thought as his eyes swept the sky all around him. Ishikawa looked at ease on her broom as Armstrong charged for Duncan acting as Goalkeeper, Quaffle firmly under his arm. Down below he saw Mr Keller cutting the grass of the field, completely unconcerned by the teenagers zipping around overhead. Distracted, Teddy watched him moving back and forth, eyes roving over the freshly-cut grass, still a brilliant green despite the season.

 _Wait, what's that?_ Teddy thought as Mr Keller completed another row and started on the next. _A pattern?_ Intrigued, he flew down for a closer look. _Lines? No … an arrow!_ His gut clenched in excitement as an arrow became clear in the cut grass.

Ishikawa blasted past him on her broom, taking advantage of his distraction to make a dive for the Snitch, handily ending the game. "Face it Lupin, you'll never be better than me!" she shouted as she flew literal circles around him.

"I was just having an off day. Anytime you want to challenge me, Ishikawa!" he shouted back, heading for the field and the strange arrow.

Duncan and Kelly joined him on the ground, faces wound up in consternation. "What the hell was that, man? When I saw you flying down, I thought you'd seen it and then you just sat there like a dummy! Didn't you hear me yelling at you?"

Eyes fixed on the pattern in the grass, Teddy only nodded, letting his friend's frustration roll over him. "Sorry. I was distracted."

"By what?" Duncan asked belligerently, arms folded across his chest. Kelly looked between the two friends and Teddy gave her a reassuring smile and a roll of his eyes as if to say, "Pay him no mind, he's like this all the time."

"By that," Teddy said, pointing to the arrow in the grass.

"What's that?" Duncan asked, looking down at it and then to where it seemed to be pointing.

"An arrow."

"I can see that, dumbass. What's it there for?"

Teddy glanced at Kelly and licked his lips. "I think it's a clue."

Duncan's eyes got round and he sucked in a breath. "You think so?"

"A clue for what?" Kelly asked, looking down at the arrow in the grass. Mr Keller continued to cut the grass and Teddy looked for any other strange patterns, but didn't see any.

"It's kind of a long story," Teddy said, reluctant to tell her about the thunderbird and his request.

"A bird wants a whisker," Duncan said, making Teddy groan out loud. "What?"

"Never mind. Where do you think it's pointing to?"

Duncan squinted at the arrow and then off to the distance. "Hard to tell on the ground," he grunted. "Let's get up in the air and see what we see."

The three launched themselves into the air, hovering over the lighter green arrow pattern in the grass below. "Well, it's not pointing to Mt Diablo," Teddy observed, looking at the cloud-covered peak in the distance.

"Hmm …" Duncan lined himself up with the arrow. "It's kind of going off in that direction," he said, pointing toward the clump of administration buildings.

"Should we just fly in that direction and see what we see?" Kelly asked, surprising Teddy.

"I guess?" Teddy and Duncan shrugged and kicked off from the ground, Kelly following them as they rose into the sky. Looking down, Teddy lined himself up with the arrow and flew forward, keeping a sharp eye out for anything unusual.

"See anything?" Duncan called and Teddy shook his head as they flew over the bell tower on top of the main administration building.

"Wait, what's that over there?" Kelly shouted, pointing to the right. Teddy hovered in midair looking where she was pointing.

"The observatory?"

"Look at the weathervane. The arrow is going against the wind direction," she said, flying closer.

Teddy and Duncan followed her until they hovered right in front of it. It was made out of brass and very ornate with devices that showed not only the wind direction, but the speed, humidity, phase of the moon and outdoor temperature. Topping the whole thing was a rooster that actually crowed at sunrise and sunset. Just as she'd said, the arrow which usually indicated the wind direction was pointing in the complete opposite direction it should have been.

Duncan spun around, looking back at the direction they'd come from. "So, it's not pointing exactly where we came from, but rather more that way." He moved his outstretched arm 45 degrees, pointing toward the golden oak-studded hills behind the school.

Teddy sucked in air between his teeth and frowned. "I don't really see anything out there. What do you think?"

Kelly studied it through narrowed eyes, looking back towards the Quidditch pitch. "I think it's a triangulation."

"X marks the spot!" Duncan said triumphantly.

"Duncan, 'X' never marks the spot," Teddy said, feeling very much like Indiana Jones at the moment.

"Five dollars," Duncan retorted, holding out his hand.

Teddy slapped his palm with his. "You're on." Kelly watched their interaction with a quizzical look on her face before finally shaking her head. "It's getting dark; let's um, triangulate and see what we find?"

"I'll take the weathervane, Teddy, you do the arrow in the grass. Send up red sparks when you're ready to start."

Duncan held out his hand. "Mandrakes on three! One, two, three, Mandrakes!"

They broke apart, Duncan following Teddy to the Quidditch pitch. Hovering above the lighter green arrow in the grass once more, Teddy felt a tightening in his guts. _Man, I hope this isn't some wild goose chase,_ he thought as he sent up a barrage of red sparks from his wand. Answering sparks went up from Kelly's position and they flew forward, Teddy enhancing his vision until he could see her on her trajectory.

 _Hmm, looks like we're going to end up at the bell tower?_ They all arrived at the same time and sat on their brooms, looking at the brown stucco tower in confusion. Teddy flew all the way around it, looking for anything unusual, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"What do you reckon?" he asked Duncan. His friend balanced easily on his broom, arms folded as he stared at the tower.

"Nothing on the outside? No markings?"

"None. Kelly, you see anything?" She shook her head and Teddy sighed, feeling defeated.

"Well, let's look inside." Duncan rose easily and flew toward one of the large archways of the bell tower, landing next to the enormous cast-iron bell. Teddy and Kelly followed cautiously, squeezing into the space next to Duncan. Most of it was taken up by the bell and Teddy checked his watch to see if it was due to go off anytime soon.

"We've got about fifteen minutes before it goes off at five," he said, eyes darting around the small room. "We definitely do not want to be here when it does." He looked around the floor of the tower. It didn't look like anyone got up here very often to clean and it was littered with detritus. He saw leaves, twigs, dry grass, bird feathers, dead bugs and even some owl pellets.

 _How will I even know what's a clue? This all looks like a bunch of crap,_ he thought, squatting down to paw through a pile of leaves in a corner. None of them looked unusual and several of them crumbled to dust the second he touched them. He glanced over at Kelly and saw her picking up several owl pellets, lighting the tip of her wand to get a closer look at them and he felt a surge of giddiness overtake him.

"What about in here?" Duncan said, his voice oddly muffled. Teddy glanced over to see his legs poking out from underneath the bell.

"Get out of there! What if it goes off?" Teddy said, standing up in alarm.

Duncan bent almost double and fixed him with a look. "It's not going to go off early. There might be something in here. Help me look, you wuss."

"I swear to God one of these days I'm going to knock your block off," Teddy grumbled as he scooted underneath the bell to stand next to Duncan. Kelly joined them a moment later and they all lit the tips of their wands, examining the interior of the bell for anything that might be a clue to the location of Coyote's den.

"Nothing. I told you," Teddy said after several minutes of fruitless searching.

"Keep looking. There's got to be something," Duncan insisted. "The arrows pointed us here and this bell is in the exact middle of the intersection."

"Jesus, Duncan! How many times do I have to tell you? 'X' never marks the—"

"Oh! Look at this!" Kelly exclaimed, aiming her wand light at the bell's enormous clapper. Inscribed on it was a crude representation of some sort of building.

"You think it's the clue?" Duncan asked eagerly, his voice loud in the confines of the bell.

"Thanks. Now I don't need the bell to ring to make me deaf." Teddy punched his friend in the shoulder and then dropped down on his haunches, making himself eye level with the crude drawing.

"Sorry! Jeez!" Duncan dropped down next to him, reaching a finger out to touch the image incised in the cast iron.

"Don't!" Teddy hissed, grabbing Duncan's hand and pulling it away. "We don't know if it's trapped."

"Why would it be trapped?"

"Are you telling me that you've spent the last couple of days reading about Coyote and you haven't figured out that he's the master prankster?" Teddy shook his head sadly. "You are going to be a shitty Auror."

Kelly sighed in exasperation and cast Detect Magic. Teddy held his breath, releasing it slowly when nothing around the image glowed. "What is it?" Kelly asked, squatting down next to him. She turned her head to the side and squinted. "It looks like a kid's drawing of a castle."

"How d'you figure that?" Teddy asked, looking at the drawing again. It was vaguely rectangle-shaped with what looked like blocky towers on either end and odd sideways triangles floating overhead.

"See, look," Kelly said, reaching out with a finger. "You have the main building of the castle here, and these are the towers, right?" She pointed out some lumpy bits at the top of the towers. "These are the crenelations and here are the pennants." She touched each of the triangles in turn.

"And this looks like the drawbridge," Duncan said, pointing to the upside-down U-shape in the middle of the main castle body.

"A castle. What would a castle have to do with this?" Teddy took his phone out of his back pocket and snapped several pictures of the drawing, noticing the time. "We gotta get out of here. Come on."

The three of them scooted out from under the bell and grabbed their brooms, flying quickly back to the Quidditch pitch. Teddy turned over the image of the castle in his mind. _Are there any castles around here? There's a shit ton in England, but what would any of those have to do with Coyote?_

Back on solid ground, they walked back to the equipment room to put their brooms away as the bell started chiming the hour. Teddy closed the door and turned to see Kelly fixing him with a glare, arms crossed. "Now, what is this a clue for? A bird wants a whisker? What are you two getting up to?" she asked in a tone that clearly said she wouldn't be satisfied until she knew everything.

Duncan looked at him with a raised eyebrow and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll let you two get on with this conversation. Let me know what you find out about that drawing." He gave them a jaunty wave and strolled off toward his locker, looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Teddy began, scratching the back of his neck nervously at Kelly's expression.

"I think we've got a few minutes."

"Indeed. Well, years ago, me and Harry and Ginny went on a river rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Ginny kind of does this … thing where she usually manages to find some sort of magical creature that needs some help, right? So, there was this thunderbird …" he said, telling her about their adventure of finding Hehewuti's egg and helping it to hatch.

"So then a few days ago, Niyol, that's Hehewuti's son, came to me and said he wanted to mate this other thunderbird, but she was insisting on one of Coyote's whiskers and he thinks I can help him get it," Teddy said, the look of amazement on her face giving him a little thrill in his gut.

"When you say Coyote, you mean _the_ Coyote, right? The father of the five tribes, the trickster the … god?"

"Yeah. That's the one."

"I see." She was quiet for several moments and Teddy had a sudden fear that she was going to back out of going to the dance with him on account of him being utterly barking mad. His fears were allayed when she looked at him with a wide smile and his heart began to beat faster. "Well, I'll say one thing for you; you sure do keep things interesting."

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you. You ready to go?" Harry said as he came down the walkway, tie loosened and his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Oh, Marianne's! Yeah, let me get my bag." He looked back at Kelly, wanting to take her hand, but feeling self-conscious about touching her with Harry standing right there, so he waved instead. "Gotta go. Ginny's torturing me with dress robe shopping tonight."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then." She shot a quick glance at Harry and went up on her tiptoes, putting her mouth next to his ear. "My dress is emerald green."

Teddy nearly swooned at the feeling of her hot breath washing over his ear and the rush of his Metamorphmagus ability blew through him as his hair changed color. Looking up at his fringe, he saw his hair was a brilliant green and he grinned at Kelly. "Got it," he said, avoiding looking at his godfather as she squeezed his arm and headed off to her own locker.

Out of the corner of his eye, Teddy saw Harry's wide grin and he felt a hot flush travel down his entire body. "Not a single word," he admonished before stalking off to collect his things.

* * *

"Hmm, something about those just don't look right," Ginny said. She was standing with her weight balanced back on one leg, eyes narrowed as she looked Teddy up and down.

"They don't look right because I'm wearing them," he said, spreading his arms wide, huge swathes of fabric falling to either side of him.

"Oh, pish, you're not the problem. Turn around, I'm not satisfied with how those hang on you." Teddy dutifully turned around, listening to Ginny hum discontentedly behind him. "No, not those. Back in you go."

"These are the twentieth set of robes you've had me put on," Teddy groused as he disappeared back into the changing cubicle.

"They are not, but if you keep complaining we'll go through twenty sets," Ginny threatened. As he was changing, he heard her talk quietly with the hovering saleswitch, asking about different fabrics, saying things like 'all-season' and 'sturdy'.

"How're you holding up, mate?" Harry asked, sticking his head through the curtain.

"All right," Teddy said, letting the heavy, suffocating fabric fall to the plush carpet. Getting robes at Marianne's certainly was an experience, he'd learned. They'd been greeted with iced cucumber water and shown to what the saleswitch called "the east salon". He found that he didn't overmuch care for the cucumber water, but being able to try on robes under Ginny's scrutiny without a bunch of complaining boys and exasperated mums around was priceless.

"Here, these are the ones Gin wants to see next." Harry handed him a jumble of fabric and Teddy groaned as he tried to make heads or tails out of it.

"What about you?" Teddy shoved his arm into a sleeve, scowling at his godfather.

"I'm already sorted. Only had to try on two sets."

"So now you're going to sit on your arse and drink fancy water while I continue this torture." Teddy settled the robes on his shoulders and looked at his reflection in the mirror, blowing his fringe out of his eyes with an annoyed breath.

Harry stepped into the cubicle with him, adjusting the drape of the yards and yards of fabric. "It's a tough job, yeah?" he said, grinning at him. He took a step back and nodded. "I think we've got the light at the end of the tunnel here."

Taking a deep breath, Teddy exited the cubicle and stood in front of Ginny, looking at her hopefully, relieved to see a pleased smile light up her face. "Yes, this fabric is much better on his frame. Not quite so stodgy," she remarked to the saleswitch.

"Yes, this fabric has a much lighter hand than your traditional woolen, but it's still practical enough for winter events," the saleswitch said, walking around Teddy and making pulls and yanks to adjust. Teddy glared at Harry as he lounged on the sofa, legs out in front of him as he sipped from a fresh glass of cucumber water.

"All right. And no problem with extra for letting out?" Ginny asked, making Teddy feel like he wasn't even standing there right in front of her.

"No problem at all. Would you like to see some vests now?"

"Yes, please. You said emerald green, right?" Ginny asked, almost as if she'd just realized he was actually there.

"Uh, yeah," Teddy said, feeling a tingle as he thought of getting to see Kelly in her dress when he picked her up to go to the dance.

He repeated the trick from earlier, grinning when the saleswitch looked impressed and hurried off to find vests in the appropriate color. While she was away, Teddy felt his stomach start grumbling. "Are we eating after this?"

"God, I hope so," Harry said from the sofa. "What do you want?"

"Mexican," Teddy said without hesitation. "That place in the Mission with the good chips."

"I think that can be arranged," Ginny said, smiling warmly at him. "We can pick up James from Sarah and Archimedes afterwards."

"Okay, let's see how these do," the saleswitch said, returning with several vests over her arm. The promise of food made this last bit bearable and soon Ginny was conversing with the saleswitch, making the final arrangements for pickup of the robes and two waistcoats, one a somber midnight-blue and the other the prescribed emerald green.

Teddy shrugged on his jacket and waited in the lobby with Harry while Ginny continued to chat with the saleswitch. "So," Harry asked, "need any dance lessons?"

"From you? No thanks."

"Hey now, Gin and I used to go to dance clubs pretty often," Harry said, sounding just a little defensive.

"Yeah? When was that? When was the last time you two went out to a club?" Teddy asked, tilting his head back and looking at him.

"Well, it was just …" Harry said, brows drawing down in a frown, "… erm …"

"Are you telling me that the only dance club you've been to in the last however many years has been St Ambrose's all-purpose room?" Teddy tried to keep a straight face but failed and couldn't stop the laughter bubbling out of him as he watched Harry's expression cycle from speculation to consternation and then finally resignation.

"All ready?" Ginny asked, finally tearing herself away from the saleswitch. "What's so funny?"

"Harry was, uh, offering me dance lessons," Teddy said, trying to calm his giggles.

"Oh, he was, was he?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at her husband who was still looking discomfited. "I'll give you a brush up course. I'm the much better dancer." She raised her arms over her head and bumped her hip against Teddy's, making him break out in another round of laughter.

"That's enough, you two," Harry grumbled, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Ooh, someone's hangry. Shall we?" Ginny held her hand out and Teddy took it in his, momentarily surprised at how small her hand was in his now.

"Let's be gone from this place," he said haughtily, leading the way to the ornate double-doors, sweeping past Harry with his nose high in the air.

A few minutes later they were seated in a cozy booth in their favorite Mexican place in the Mission, Teddy blissfully crunching his way through the first bowl of tortilla chips. Their waiter brought their drinks, setting a blended margarita down in front of Harry and two jamaicas in front of Teddy and Ginny. "No margarita?" Teddy asked after a long, satisfying slurp.

"Someone has to make sure everyone gets home in one piece," she said with an air of superiority.

"Come on, it'd take far more than just one margarita for me to splinch myself or anyone else," Harry said, licking foam from his upper lip. "Did I ever tell you about that one time I had to do a quickie extraction from the Pyrenees? We had an Auror take a bad curse wound and I was already in France, so they sent me to get him out."

Teddy had forgotten all about the chip in his hand as he listened, eyes wide. "So then what happened?"

Harry shrugged and took another swallow of his drink. "I got him out. The original plan was to take him to a safe house outside of Paris, but I got word that it had been compromised, so I brought him back to London."

"All the way back to London from … Spain?" Teddy remembered the chip in his hand and shoved it in his mouth, chewing furiously.

"Well, I dunno, could have been in France? Andorra? It's so weird up there in those mountains."

"But intercontinental Apparation. That's heavy duty. Duncan's dad said the furthest he's Apparated himself alone was Chicago and you did it with another person." Teddy shook his head and took another long slurp of jamaica. "I can't wait to learn stuff like that and really see what I can do."

"Well, I was taking a pretty big chance with that and I wasn't a hundred percent sure if it would turn out all right," Harry said.

"But you're Harry Potter. You _had_ to know it'd work out," Teddy insisted. "You've done things that most only dream of. Taking down the worst Dark Lord, killing a Basilisk—"

"Watching friends die," Harry said quietly, eyes fixed on Teddy. "It's not all glory and adventure. Bad things happen to people you care about."

Teddy opened his mouth to argue when Ginny laid her hand on top of his. "Well, I'm going to have the enchiladas, how about you?" she said brightly, giving Harry a warning look.

Sighing, Teddy lowered his eyes to his menu even though he'd already decided on the smothered burrito. He knew there would be no more talk about Aurors—adventures or dangers—tonight. He listened as Harry and Ginny talked about the upcoming Christmas holiday, sorting out gifts for the multitudes of Weasleys.

The phone in his pocket buzzed the pattern he'd set for Duncan, but he ignored it. He knew if he took it out that it would immediately be confiscated and he didn't need Harry or Ginny to "accidentally" read any of the messages about castles, thunderbirds or coyotes.

After what seemed like ages, their dinners came and Teddy was relieved that he could pay attention to something else at last as he plowed through his burrito. He was halfway through when Harry set down his knife and fork and took a long drink of water. Teddy watched, chewing more slowly as he cleared his throat, suddenly worried that he'd somehow figured out their half-baked plans to find Coyote's den and was about to tell him off.

"Gin and I have a bit of an announcement," Harry said, taking Ginny's hand. "Well, more like two, I guess." He paused for a moment and grinned at Ginny. "Gin's pregnant and we're putting the condo up for sale."

Teddy swallowed his mouthful and looked back at them, eyes darting between Ginny's excited face and Harry's hopeful one. "Oh, wow. Wow," he said, completely taken by surprise at both pieces of news. They'd never said anything to him about it, but he knew that getting James had taken some work and he hoped this one had been a bit easier. "Why sell the condo?"

"Well, there's going to be another person in the house before too long. James is becoming more mobile and we'd like him to have a nice garden to go out and play in," Ginny said effusively, eyes alight with the possibilities.

"I'll be moving out, though, and into the Academy barracks," Teddy said around another mouthful of delicious carne asada burrito.

"Or university," Harry said.

"Yes, you'll be graduating and then moving on to whatever you decide next," Ginny said smoothly, interrupting whatever Harry had been about to say. She put her hand on Teddy's arm, squeezing lightly. "But that doesn't mean you won't have a place with us. Wherever we are will always be your home and there will always be a place for you in it."

Her sincere words warmed Teddy's heart and he felt a little bit of his apprehension fade. "So you haven't been waiting for me to graduate just so you can turn my room into another nursery?" he asked, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. "When is this new one appearing on the scene?"

Ginny glanced at Harry and then focused back on Teddy. "Should be sometime in June."

"Are you going to miss my graduation because you're giving birth?"

"Sweetheart, I wouldn't miss your graduation for anything. You know that." Teddy looked back at Ginny, seeing the care for him in her eyes and he swallowed past a lump in his throat, covering it up with a long drink of jamaica. He looked at Harry, giving him a cheeky grin and a thumbs up, getting a raised eyebrow in return.

They continued dinner, chatting companionably, Teddy's phone continuing to buzz away. _Get a clue, Duncan!_ Teddy thought, wishing he dared take it out at the dinner table. Groaning, Ginny pushed away from the table, patting the barely-there curve of her incipient belly. "Harry, do you think you could manage collecting James from Sarah and Archimedes?"

"Of course. All right?" Harry asked, looking at her with concern.

"Yes, fine. I just ate too much and I want to walk a bit of it off. Teddy will come with me, won't you?" she said, giving him a brilliant smile.

"I would be honored to escort my lady through these streets of San Francisco," Teddy intoned with exaggerated gravitas as he helped her out of her seat.

Outside of the restaurant they waved goodbye to Harry as they headed off down Mission toward Market. It was a clear night and very cold, the full moon riding high in the sky and Teddy looked up at it, thinking of his father as he so often did on nights like this.

"Penny for your thoughts," Ginny said quietly, breaking his reverie.

"Oh, I hardly think that they're worth all that much."

"You might be surprised."

Teddy glanced at her, glad to see that she wasn't even looking at him and sighed. "I dunno. It's the full moon, isn't it?"

"You thinking of your dad?"

"And Mum. What they were like. What they would think of me," he said, leaving one thought unvoiced. _Why did they have me if they were just going to die?_

"They were wonderful people," Ginny said, taking his hand and squeezing hard. "And they would be very proud of you."

"What made them wonderful?" he asked, feeling that same old hunger to _know_ rising up inside.

"Which one?"

"Dad," Teddy said, eyes fixed on the moon shining so brightly.

"Oh, well, let's see," Ginny said, falling quiet for a moment and he sensed she was marshaling her thoughts. "You know he was our Defense teacher, coming right after the disaster that was Gilderoy Lockhart, so he was quite a breath of fresh air! That was my second year, so he was really my first experience with a Defense professor that was actually competent and knew what he was talking about."

"And he was teaching at Hogwarts because of Sirius Black, right? The ministry was worried that Sirius would go after Harry?"

"Correct. Of course, they were completely wrong about Sirius as we found out later, but your father was prepared to defend Harry against someone who had once been one of his very best friends in the whole world. Has Harry ever told you how they met the very first time?" Ginny asked, looking up at him.

"On the train, I thought?"

"Yes, on the train. Dementors had been sent to look for Sirius on the Hogwarts Express and, well, you know how they affect Harry. Your father came to his aid without hesitation even though they'd never formally met. That's the kind of man your father was. He'd do anything for the ones he loved and even though he didn't know Harry, he loved him because he was all that was left of Lily and James." Ginny squeezed his hand again and Teddy felt his heart thumping hard in his chest as they strolled along.

 _And I'm all that's left of Mum and Dad._ "What about Mum?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"She was one-of-a-kind," Ginny said, her voice warm with memories. "There was that summer we were all cooped up at number twelve and this was back when it wasn't nearly as nice as it is now. Mum was determined to clean that place within an inch of our lives."

"I thought Kreacher was there, taking care of the place?"

"Oh, he was there, but he wasn't taking care of it. Kreacher was quite a bit different then. He'd had a very hard time of it and Sirius wasn't the best person to be around." They walked quietly for a few moments before she spoke again. "Anyway, it was just the worst summer ever, but your mum could always make it seem better. She was the one that brought Harry from his aunt and uncle's to Dumbledore so he could be brought to number twelve. Harry said that she nearly broke all of his aunt's knickknacks getting him and his trunk out of the house."

"Yeah, I've heard that she wasn't the most graceful," Teddy said, envisioning his mum as he'd seen her in pictures. Young, full of life and tripping all over the place.

"When she was dueling though, it was a completely different thing. It was almost as if a different part of her brain switched on and she became a different person. I saw her fighting at the Department of Mysteries and I had a hard time recognizing her as the person that made us laugh at the dinner table by making faces!"

"Did she ever talk about why she wanted to be an Auror?" Teddy asked hesitantly.

Ginny shook her head. "Not that I ever heard. Oh! Why didn't I think of this before? You know who you should talk to? Charlie! He was at school with her and I'm sure he must have a few stories for you," she said, sounding excited at the prospect. "We'll talk to him at Christmas, all right?"

"Yeah, all right," he said, thinking about what sorts of questions he'd ask Charlie about his mother. He'd always found the second Weasley son a bit intimidating for all of his easy affability, giving off an "I'd rather be hanging out with dragons" sort of vibe when forced to be around large groups of people. "Ginny, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, love. Ask me anything you want."

Teddy took a deep breath, gathering up his courage. "What do you think of me being an Auror?"

Ginny didn't answer right away and he was torn between relief that she hadn't immediately blown up at him and worry that she was winding up for a good shout. "Well, I think Harry's right that it's an extremely dangerous profession."

"But—" he began, interrupted when she held up her finger.

"And I think that you are a very smart, talented person and you can do anything you want in the world." She stopped walking and turned to face him. "But I understand why you would want to try to be one."

"But Harry …"

"Harry doesn't have especially good memories of his time in the department, mostly because of his baggage. The department were exploiting him, trying to wring every last drop they could out of 'Famous Harry Potter'. I guess they figured he'd killed the Dark Lord, so he could do practically anything and sent him out on the most dangerous assignments." Ginny sighed and started walking again. "He's just afraid of the same thing happening to you."

"I'm not famous. I'm nobody," Teddy said, shoving his hand in his jacket pockets. His phone was buzzing again and he itched to take it out and read the messages Duncan had been sending him all evening.

"You're a Metamorphmagus, love. I know you know how rare that is and I know that there's only one other Metamorphmagus Auror in the entire country." She looked at him, expression serious. "Put yourself in Archimedes's place. You've got this trained Auror who can literally be anyone. What would you do?"

Teddy thought as they continued to walk, visions of James Bond cloak-and-dagger filling his head. _Shaken, not stirred_. _Beautiful women, exotic places, fast cars … getting shot at, stabbed, cursed …_ "But Mum did it."

"Yes, she did." They walked quietly, Teddy continuing to contemplate what she'd said about the Aurors and his usefulness to them when he saw a brightly-patterned blanket out of the corner of his eye. Reminded of the strange man he'd almost knocked over the other day, he turned his head, but didn't see it in the jumble of sleepers bundled up against the chill of the night.

As they passed close, Teddy surreptitiously took out his wand, casting a silent Scourgify at a bundle of blankets. Ginny squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "Your father would have done the same thing," she said proudly and he felt his cheeks flush with heat at being caught.

"Um, would you talk to Harry for me? About the Aurors? I don't think I could without it turning into a complete row."

"I can't make any promises, but I'm sure I can have a conversation with him."

"Don't let him know I asked you, though," he said, smiling when she zipped her lips shut and threw away the key.

They were on a quiet stretch of Gough when Ginny patted her belly. "I think we've walked far enough, don't you?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ginny."

"Anytime, love." She reached for his hand and frowned a little. "I hope James is hungry," she said as she held on to his hand tightly, preparing to Apparate them home.

"Ugh, I did _not_ need to know that."

* * *

"Did you and Teddy have a nice chat?" Harry asked quietly as Ginny rocked with James in the antique rocking chair, stroking his temple as he nursed.

"We did. Thanks for collecting our boy," she said, giving him a smile that made his heart speed up.

"No problem. Sarah said he did just fine." Harry groaned as he sat down on the floor, resting his back against Ginny's legs.

"Tired?" she asked, running her fingers through his thick hair.

"Yeah. Watching Teddy try on robes is exhausting." He closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing feeling of her fingers against his scalp in the dim room. "Was he all right?"

"I think our announcement made him think of Remus and Tonks again. Wanted to talk about them."

"I thought he would. What did he ask this time?"

"Oh, the usual. What they were like. He asked if Tonks had ever said what made her want to be an Auror and I said I didn't know but that he should talk to Charlie at Christmas. I'd clean forgot that they were year mates." Harry felt her shifting James to her other breast, quietly encouraging him to latch on. He loved these times of quiet conversation with her while she nursed James, the sweet milky scent of the baby sparking something primal in him.

"Full moon tonight."

"Yeah, I think that was part of it." They sat quietly, Harry listening as the baby slowed down his furious pace. Ginny whispered quietly to him as she shifted him around for burping.

Harry turned around to watch, resting his chin on her knee and she finally looked at him. "What?" she asked, patting the baby's back.

"When was the last time we went out to a club?"

"What? A club?" Ginny frowned as she rubbed James on the back. "Hm, well, I went out with Ben before he went down to LA last year … but you and I? It's been a while, hasn't it?" James let out a loud belch and she congratulated him heartily, handing him to Harry so she could do up her front.

"Let's go then, you and me. We'll go out, listen to music that's too damn loud and dance our arses off," he said, holding his son's warm body close to his. "Wouldn't that be grand?" he asked James, rubbing his nose against the baby's.

"Here I am, milk blotches all on my front and sick up on my shoulder and you're asking me out to a dance club?" She handily Vanished the aforementioned stains and folded the burping cloth neatly. "Besides, aren't we going to a dance soon?" She stood up and took the sleepy baby from Harry, settling him in his cot.

"Yeah, but that's a school dance and we'll have to behave ourselves," Harry said, pressing up against her back and putting his hands on her hips. She arched back against his body and turned her head to kiss him. "I want to dance with you in a place where I'm not a teacher," he whispered against her lips.

"And where I'm not a teacher's wife? I like the sound of that." Ginny ground her bottom against his crotch, sending his blood pressure skyrocketing.

Fastening his lips on her neck and sucking lightly, Harry groaned as he felt his erection spring to life. "Let's go to bed," he exhaled, entertaining the thought of simply picking her up and running off with her.

"Teddy," she murmured, "phone."

"Blasted rules," Harry grunted.

"Your rules," she countered, turning in his grasp to nip at his neck.

"Too noble for my own good," he agreed, taking a step back from her. Her eyes shone in the dim light of the nursery, red hair just a bit mussed and he bit back another groan. "Five minutes, all right?"

"What if I need longer than that to get ready?" she challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"Too bad. Five minutes is what you're getting," he growled, smacking her on her bottom and making her squeak.

She sidled smoothly past him, evading his grab as he tried to pull her in for another kiss. "See you in five, then," she said, casting him a look over her shoulder that nearly set his trousers on fire and he swallowed a gulp of air.

In seconds, he was outside of Teddy's door, knocking gently. "Teddy, bedtime, yeah?" He heard muffled conversation as his godson said his goodbyes to what was probably Duncan before opening the door.

"Here you go," he said, handing him the phone.

"How's Duncan?" Harry asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Fine. We were talking about Ms Okefor's midterm this week. About the Native American legends, mostly." Teddy shrugged, hands in his jeans pockets and Harry nodded.

"All right. Well, see you in the morning. Don't stay up too late."

A smile curled the corner of Teddy's mouth and he lifted an eyebrow. "Same to you."


	6. Chapter 6

Teddy looked over the completed applications and sighed. _New York, Austin and Denver. If they're going to make me apply, I'm going to make them think twice about it,_ he thought obstinately.

The task of filling out all three applications had been arduous, especially the essays. One had required him to write about a time when he had had a belief challenged. Another wanted to know what magical problem he hoped to solve one day. The last one wanted to know all about whatever in his life had sparked a period of personal growth.

 _Ugh, I'm sixteen, not a hundred and six! I don't even want to go to university! I just want to borrow a car for a night and be an Auror!_ He rubbed his aching hand—it seemed that magical universities hadn't yet caught on to the Internet and everything needed to be filled out in longhand, a task he'd found more trying than actually coming up with a story about personal growth.

"Well, no time like the present," he said, standing up from his desk with a huge stretch. Stuart uncurled from his spot in the middle of Teddy's bed, echoing his movements with a stretch of his own.

He found Harry on the sofa in the lounge, working through a pile of student papers in his lap. Ginny had gone out to do some Christmas shopping with James and the condo had been eerily silent all day with the both of them working.

Teddy sat down in the armchair with a loud sigh, making Harry look up. "All done?" he asked.

"Finally." He handed Harry the sheaf of papers and settled back in the chair, absently petting Stuart who had made himself comfortable in his lap.

"All right. Let's see what you've got." Teddy watched as Harry started reading through the application for the New York Institute for Polymagics. That was the one where he'd had to write about a belief being challenged. He'd chosen to write about when he was in primary school and had been told that Father Christmas was made up and he saw Harry smile. The two of them had had quite the serious conversation about it. "That's the belief you chose?"

Teddy shrugged. "It was a very important belief at the time." He watched as Harry read through all of the essays, painfully aware of the play of expressions across his face. After what seemed like an excruciating eternity, Harry put the applications down, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses. "Well?"

"New York, Denver and Austin?" Harry asked, handing him the papers. "No Bay Area?"

Teddy grinned, riffling the paper edges against his thumb. "Hey, if you're making me apply to universities …"

"Indeed. Gin might have a thing or two to say about your choices."

"Wasn't she the one that came all the way over here first?" Teddy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmm, so she was. You've chosen some good schools at any rate. What do you want to study?" Harry asked, clearly tabling the location discussion for when he had backup.

 _How to catch bad guys,_ Teddy thought, keeping his expression neutral. "Um, well, I dunno. Potions is all right and Defense is always very useful. Transfiguration and Charms, too," he said, naming the exact subjects required to enter the Auror academy. "I thought I might take some law courses as well."

"Following in Ron's footsteps?" Harry said with a twitch of an eyebrow.

"I was thinking more of my mum's." He took a deep breath and steeled himself to ask the question at the forefront of his mind. "So, what about my application to the Auror academy?"

Harry sighed and leaned forward, giving Teddy his hey-I'm-an-easygoing-dad-type look. "Why don't we see where you get accepted to first and then we'll talk about it, all right?"

"Where I get accepted? Harry, that'll take forever! Universities move so slow and the Auror academy starts in August! I need to get my application in now. Duncan said—"

"Duncan. If Duncan said you needed to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, you'd probably do it," Harry said derisively.

"That's not true and you know it!" Teddy said, trying to control the spurt of anger that rose up inside of him at Harry's words. "I want to get out and _do_! I'm tired of sitting around in classes!"

"Going to university isn't all sitting around in classes."

"How do you know? You went into the Aurors right out of Hogwarts. You didn't even finish your seventh year."

"My seventh year was spent hunting down horrible Dark objects and then killing another living person at the end of it." Easygoing Dad was gone, replaced by Hardass Dad and Teddy felt a rising tide of frustration.

"Harry, I'm not going to kill anyone! I just want to be an Auror like my mum!"

Harry's eyes narrowed and Teddy felt a faint crackling in the air between them. "How do you know? How do you know what's going to be asked of you? I didn't go into the Aurors thinking I would be doing any killing, but they taught us. They taught us all of the nasty spells no one likes to think about. They taught us how to use a knife and guns and all of the other fun things Muggles have created to kill and maim each other with. How to hurt and disable if magic wasn't an option. How to hunt and stalk another man like an animal." Harry shook his head. "And I loved it. Loved every minute of it, until I actually killed someone with my own two hands."

Teddy sucked in a sharp breath. Everyone knew he'd killed Voldemort—it had happened in front of a ton of people—but the thought that he'd killed more than that one time was something he found shocking. "Things were different then," he said weakly, still unwilling to back down.

"We'll talk about this later," Harry said, looking tired rather than angry. "Thank you for completing the university applications. You can use the car for the dance."

Feeling dismissed, Teddy nodded and stood up, grabbing his hoodie from the stand by the door. "I'm going out for a while," he said, not waiting for an acknowledgement from his godfather.

* * *

"It's an absolute madhouse out there," Ginny said as she opened the door and came into the apartment, package-laden pushchair leading the way. "I thought I was going to get mowed over on Market Street by a gang of little old ladies!"

She bent over, picking James up out of the pushchair and bouncing him in her arms while he waved his hands and chortled. "And you were just the best boy ever, weren't you? Charming those ladies so I could get what I needed! Harry, you should see the tee shirts I found for the girls! They have the cutest sayings on them!"

Not hearing a response from him, she looked over to where he sat on the sofa, staring moodily at the telly. "Harry? Are you all right? Where's Teddy?" she asked, a tingle of alarm going through her.

"He went out a while ago," Harry said, standing up from the sofa. He took James from her, dodging the boy's grab at his glasses.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Harry let out a long breath and set James on the floor, letting him crawl around. "He finished his university applications and then we had a bit of a row."

"Oh, Harry. Over what?" she asked, pretty sure she already had a very good idea.

"He asked if he could apply for the Aurors again and I didn't handle it very well."

Ginny sighed and shook her head, reaching down to pick up James who was clinging to her jeans and making high-pitched whining sounds. "I'm going to settle him down for a nap and then you and I are going to have a conversation, all right? Did Teddy say where he was going or when he'll be back?"

"No. Just said he was going out." Harry followed her to the nursery, laying out the things she'd need on the changing table as she wrestled James out of his jacket and overalls. Soon he was nestled at her breast, industriously nursing away as Ginny rocked slowly, thinking about how to approach this conversation with her husband.

 _They're too much alike. Each convinced they're in the right or that they know more than the other. Teddy's at the age now where he's really starting to think of his parents and wonder who they were as people. He wants to break away from us and be his own person._ She looked down at her son and thought about the new life growing inside of her. _How are you going to challenge us? Maybe one of you will want to be a rock star instead of an Auror._

Once James was fed, changed and sleeping peacefully, Ginny went back out into the lounge, joining Harry on the sofa. There was a cooking show on the telly and she picked up the remote, shutting it off. "Now. Tell me exactly what happened."

"Well, he brought me the university applications and I read over the essays and we had a chat about them and that part was fine, but then he asked about applying to the Auror academy and I just … I just couldn't be rational about it." Clearly agitated, Harry stood and went into the kitchen, laying out things for dinner.

"Did you just lay into him about it?" Ginny sat at the breakfast bar, watching as he measured rice and water into the rice cooker.

"I tried to be calm about it. He said he was tired of sitting around in classes all day and that he wanted to be out doing something. I said that university wasn't all about sitting in classes and then he was all, 'How do _you_ know?' and came at me about how I didn't properly finish Hogwarts. You know how he can get that snotty tone sometimes."

Ginny winced at Harry's words. She knew that he nursed a small sore spot about never having finished his proper seventh year at Hogwarts, even though doing so had been the absolute last thing on his mind at the time. She also knew that while Teddy was usually a very sweet boy, like all teenagers he seemed to possess a sixth sense for what would rile an adult the most. "And is that when you lost it?"

Harry nodded, a tinge of red coloring his cheeks. "Yeah. I just couldn't let it go. I told him that I ended my seventh year by killing a man and he insisted that he wasn't out to kill anyone." He shook his head, staring down at the granite worktop. "He just doesn't know. He doesn't know what Archimedes might ask of him one day, what he might have to do to save himself or a colleague or a civilian."

"He's young and thinks he's immortal. I seem to remember a couple of Aurors-in-training that thought very much the same way." Ginny hopped off the barstool and came around the breakfast bar, wrapping her arms around him. "He wants to be his own person, love. We've done our best, but he needs to be able to spread his wings and see what he can do."

"I know, but … Tonks and Remus would never forgive me if something happened to him."

"Tonks and Remus are dead and Teddy will never get to know them. If becoming an Auror allows him to feel closer to his mum, who are we to stand in the way of that?" She felt Harry take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You can't protect him forever."

"I know," he said after a long moment of silence. He turned around in her grasp, resting his chin on top of her head as he hugged her back. "Do you think he should apply?"

"I think he should do whatever he thinks he wants to do. If that's apply to the Aurors or go to university, it doesn't matter."

"What if he wants to run off to LA and become an adult film star?" Harry asked, a trace of a smile in his voice.

"That I might have a bit of a problem with, but if it truly makes him happy, I'd probably come around." She took a step back and looked up at Harry. "Please talk with him tonight and get this settled, all right? I don't want you fighting during the holidays."

"Well, I don't want to be the one responsible for ruining the holidays. I'll tell him tonight that he can apply."

"And no telling Archimedes not to accept him," she said sternly, raising an eyebrow at his innocent look.

"I would never do such a thing."

"Yes, you would. You forget Potter, I can read you like a book."

* * *

Teddy stood on the beach at Aquatic Park, moodily tossing small rocks into the water, listening to the splashes as they sank below the surface. So far none of the plunks and splashes had satisfied the turmoil inside of him and he cast around on the beach, looking for a rock that might be suitable for skipping on the calm waters of the protected cove.

 _Why won't Harry see things my way? Why does this have to be such a fight with him?_ Teddy bent over, picking up several likely-looking candidates and putting them in the pocket of his hoodie. _I don't want to be a magineer or magizoologist or a Healer or a teacher. Mum …_

As he thought of her, one of his favorite images of her swam before his mind's eye. In it she looked to be about his age, her hair standing up in hot pink spikes. It must have been her birthday because she sat in front of an enormous cake ablaze with candles, the light making soft shadows and highlights on her face as she eternally blew them all out with a single breath.

He felt an anguish rise in his chest and he swallowed roughly, standing up straight and tossing a rock out into the water with a sidearm sling. As he did so, another memory rose, this one of Harry teaching him how to skip rocks in the overgrown pond on the Weasley property. The rock gave only one halfhearted skip before sinking below the surface with a dissatisfying _plunk_.

"Here, try this one," a voice said as he drew back his arm to throw another one and he turned around.

A man with a brightly colored blanket wrapped around his shoulders held a rock out to him and Teddy studied him. He was about the same height as him with a smooth brown face that seemed incongruous against the white hair styled in two neat braids. Glancing down, he noticed the man was barefoot.

"Thanks," Teddy said, taking the rock from the man. He bounced it in his palm, testing the weight and looked at it. It was pure white and slightly translucent and he wondered if it was quartz.

The old man smiled at him and mimed throwing the rock, so Teddy did, counting the skips, grinning when it got to six before sinking into the water. "See? I told you it was a good one," the man said.

"Got any more of those?"

"No. That was my last one." Teddy shrugged and fished around in his pocket for another one, holding it out for his new companion's approval. When he nodded, Teddy slung it out into the cove, gratified when it went for four skips before sinking.

"You're my lucky charm," he commented, pleased to see the man smile, his eyes nearly disappearing in the wrinkles around them.

They stood quietly, looking out at the waves lapping gently at the sandy beach. Teddy felt a little bit better, the successful rock skips having released some of the tension generated by the disagreement with Harry and he blew out a long breath.

"Sounds like you have some things on your mind," the old man said, startling Teddy; he'd nearly forgotten the man was still there next to him.

"Yeah, a few." He was quiet for a moment and then found himself saying more. "It's my godfather. He wants me to go to university, but I don't want to go."

"What do you want to do instead?"

Teddy hesitated, looking at him from the corner of his eye. He had a slight accent, one that reminded him of some of the people they'd encountered on their river rafting trips through the Grand Canyon and he found himself trusting him, which made him wary. "I want to go into law enforcement, like my mum, but Harry thinks it's too dangerous."

"Harry is your godfather?"

"Yeah. My parents, um, they died when I was only a month or so old. My gran raised me and then my godfather brought me here to go to the school he teaches at." He threw another rock, not even trying to skip it this time. "There was a fight and they got caught in the crossfire."

"That's a hard thing, to lose your parents when you're so young," the man said, his voice full of sympathy.

"Yeah," Teddy said, feeling that familiar longing again. "One thing I don't get though, is that Harry used to be in law enforcement before becoming a teacher. I would think that he would be all for it, you know?"

"Maybe he isn't because he knows how dangerous it is and he just wants you to be safe?" When the old man said it in his calm, measured voice it sounded like the most reasonable thing in the world and Teddy found himself considering the possibility.

"I guess, but I mean … it was _really_ dangerous when he was a, uh, cop. All kinds of crazy stuff was happening and it was in a whole other country besides. Out here, things are not nearly as weird or …" Teddy trailed off, keeping his eyes fixed on the old ships bobbing gently on the water.

"Parents only ever want the best for their children," the man said quietly.

"They're not—" Teddy started and then stopped, realizing his age-old argument was largely baseless. Ever since he could remember, Harry had been someone he regarded as a father-figure, for all that he usually behaved like a much older brother. And he couldn't really even remember a time when Ginny wasn't fussing over him in some fashion. _Harry even gave me_ The Talk, he thought with a dawning realization as he remembered that uncomfortable yet somehow thrilling conversation.

Frustrated, he threw his last rock into the cove, smiling when it managed three skips. He dusted off his hands and turned to face the old man. "Thanks for that really good rock. Is there anything you need? I have a few dollars," he said, reaching into his pocket.

The old man smiled, eyes disappearing into deep crinkles once more. Teddy saw he had very white teeth and he felt a brief sense of vertigo. "No, I do not need anything, Teddy Lupin," he said, looking up at the darkening sky. "You should get home. I'm sure Harry and Ginny are worried about you."

"Hey, I didn't—" Teddy said, but the man was already halfway down the beach from him. "—tell you Ginny's name. Or mine." Shaking his head, he put his hands in his jacket pockets, watching the brightly colored blanket until he couldn't see it anymore. "What a weird old guy."

He turned back to look out over the water again, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. His fingers closed on the rubbery cow toy and he squeezed it, mulling over his conversation with the odd old man. The sun was nearly down; the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands black against the orangish glow and Teddy heaved a long sigh. "Time to head back, I guess," he said out loud to no one in particular.

Scanning the ground, he looked for one more rock to throw, hoping to find one that would make a satisfying splash rather than a skipping rock. "What's that?" he said, peering closer at a feather on the ground. Bending over, he picked it up, looking at it closely in the waning light. It was not like any other sort of bird feather he'd seen before. It was a dark gray color and one half of it was striped with lighter bands of gray. The shape of it put him in mind of a sail on a racing sailboat with the striped portion notably thicker than the solid gray portion.

He held it by the end of the quill and he could swear it felt like the feather wanted to take off and fly. Taking a quick look around, he cast Detect Magic, disappointed when it didn't glow. _Could this be another clue to Coyote's den?_ Standing very still, Teddy kept his breathing slow and even, enhancing his hearing to see if he could pick up any unusual sounds nearby. He heard only children, gentle waves lapping against the beach and the occasional scream of a seagull.

Looking at the feather once more, he tucked it into the inner breast pocket of his jacket. _It might be nothing, but it's a cool-looking feather anyway. Maybe Kelly would like to have it._

On the way home, he brooded about his argument with Harry. _That old guy said parents just want their children to be safe and do well, but my parents are dead and gone …_ He remembered Harry telling him about the things the Aurors had taught him to do and how his face had looked when he talked about learning to track and kill. _Never seen him look like that, even when I'd broken Ginny's platter. I swear his eyes got darker._

 _But my mum learned the same things and my dad … he was a werewolf and neither of them were bad people. Harry's just got too much baggage,_ he thought, turning onto his street. He'd just unlocked the door to the building when his phone buzzed in Duncan's pattern.

 _Hey loser! How are your UNIVERSITY applications going?_

 _Hey man. Got into a bit of a row with Harry over them. But I think I might have found another clue._

 _What? A row? Over what? What did you find?_ Duncan responded in rapid-fire fashion.

 _A feather. I'll send you a pic in a little while, all right?_

 _Yeah, all right. Mom's hollering at me for dinner anyway._ Teddy was about to put his phone away back in his pocket when it buzzed again. _Let me know if you need to talk, okay?_

Teddy sighed. _I do need to talk, but not to you. I need to make Harry understand,_ he thought. _Thanks, man. I'll call you later._

 _Aight. Later!_

After dinner, Teddy lay on his bed, Stuart purring away on his stomach. His return home had gone unremarked and he was glad that neither Harry or Ginny peppered him with questions about where he'd gone, what he'd done and most importantly, why he'd left. Instead they sat down to dinner like any other night and he listened to Ginny as she chatted about her shopping trip.

"I went by Marianne's and picked up your new robes and waistcoats. I think you'll be quite pleased with how they turned out," she said, wiping gravy off of James's hands. "Maybe you'll give us a bit of a fashion show?"

"Maybe tomorrow, all right?" Parading around in new dress robes for Ginny's exacting inspection was the last thing he wanted to do. Ginny gave him a small smile and nod and turned her attention to Harry.

"What about you? Feel like giving a little turn on the catwalk?" she asked with an impish smile.

Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Erm … I have loads of papers to mark. Midterms, yeah?"

"Both of you suck," she proclaimed, taking James out of his high chair.

"Suck!" he crowed, looking very proud of himself.

"Yes, they do! A couple of party poopers. Come on, love. Let's go get you cleaned up!" She swooped away dramatically, the motion making James shriek in joy and soon Teddy heard the sounds of the tub filling up.

He stood up and began gathering the dirty dishes and took them into the kitchen. He started to clean up, but Harry interrupted him. "I've got it," he said quietly.

"All right." Teddy shrugged and went into his room, where he'd been ever since. He had the feather in his hand, running the tip of it over his lips, enjoying the softness. Remembering Duncan, he sat up, disrupting the cat and pulled out his phone, dialing up a video call.

"Oh, God, it's you," Duncan said when he answered.

"Aw, you know you missed me!" Teddy made elaborate kissy face into the camera, laughing when Duncan recoiled in horror.

"Oh God! Never do that again. I don't know how Kelly stands you." Duncan made a show of wiping his eyes before getting down to business. "I'm assuming you didn't call to make kissy faces at me. Show me the feather."

Teddy held it up in front of the camera, turning it all around for Duncan to see. "It was the weirdest thing. I was over at Aquatic Park and then I was chatting to this really weird old guy and then he took off and I looked down and there it was."

"Maybe he dropped it?" Duncan asked, squinting at the feather. "Bring it closer."

"Maybe, but I have my doubts. This guy was … unusual."

"Unusual how? Did he have six fingers on his right hand?"

"No, stupid. He looked kind of Native American and he knew my name. And Harry's and Ginny's."

"Maybe he was a wizard," Duncan said, tossing a tennis ball into the air.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I mean, _Harry_ , right? Famous and shit?"

"Hmm, anyway, he took off and then this feather was there. Know what kind it is?"

"Lemme see it again." Teddy obligingly held it up. "No idea. Bring it to school and we'll ask Ms Chau."

"Good idea. Speaking of ideas, you come with anything about that castle drawing?"

"No. I asked my dad if there are any castles around here and he said that there's a few wineries that have fake ones, but all the real castles are in Europe."

"Maybe it refers to something or someplace Native Americans would consider a castle?"

"They didn't really build stuff though. They were more—" Duncan turned around and Teddy saw his door open. "Hey! Get out of here!"

"Who are you talking to? Is it Teddy?" Teddy groaned as the image on the screen of his phone showed Duncan's walls, bed and ceiling before Duncan's little sister Katie's face came into view. "Hi, Teddy!" she sang, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"Hi, Katie," Teddy sighed. She had an abiding crush on him and he thought it was cute at first when she was a little girl of eight, but at twelve it was becoming more embarrassing.

"Give it back, Katie! Me and Teddy were talking!"

"Well now we're talking! You talk to Teddy all the time and I never hardly get to." Katie turned back to him and smiled. "I hear you asked Kelly Taylor to the Winter Formal. How come you didn't ask me?"

"Um …"

"Because you're like five years old!" Duncan interjected off-camera.

"I'm not five! I'm twelve. Even you should know how to count by now," Katie said scornfully. "Hey, what's that?" she asked, catching sight of the feather still in Teddy's hand.

"It's a feather I found today at Aquatic Park. Pretty cool, huh?" He held it closer to the camera and Katie peered at it closely.

"Do you know what kind of bird it's from?"

"Not yet. I'm going to ask Ms Chau."

"You don't need to do that. I know what it's from."

"You do?" Teddy and Duncan said at the same time. "What's it from?" Teddy asked eagerly.

Katie's face took on a calculating expression. "Why should I tell you? You didn't ask me to the dance."

"It's very important that I know what kind of bird this came from. You'd really be helping me out." Teddy consciously enhanced his appearance, deepening his skin tone and playing up his eye color. She still looked doubtful and he smiled. "Listen, you tell me what bird this feather comes from and I'll have lunch with you tomorrow."

"Really? You promise? In the cafeteria and everything?"

"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die." Teddy heard Duncan groaning in the background and ignored him. He held up the feather next to his face, giving her his most winning smile. "Now, Katie, what bird does this come from?"

"It's from a falcon," she said promptly, eyes shining at the prospect of eating lunch with him.

"Okay. Do you know what kind?" Teddy asked, carefully keeping his voice calm and steady despite the building excitement in his guts.

Katie frowned and her face got larger in his screen as she brought the phone closer, the corner of her mouth turned up in thought. "I'm not sure. It could be from a gyrfalcon or a merlin. Are you sure you found it at Aquatic Park?"

"Yes, I definitely found it there. Thanks so much for your help, Katie. I'll see you at lunch tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll bring lunch for the both of us!" she said brightly. "Just bring yourself."

"Sounds great," Teddy said with a sinking feeling. "Listen, I really appreciate your help, but I need to talk to Duncan about some school stuff, okay?"

"Okay. See you tomorrow!" More craziness on his screen and then Duncan's smug face appeared.

"Oh, Teddy's got a lunch date," he sang as his door closed behind him. Teddy could just hear Katie shouting to her mother and he shook his head.

"Not a word, Sutton. It's for the greater good."

"The greater good," Duncan intoned. "I had no idea she knew about birds. You think she's right?"

"I dunno. I mean, a castle and a merlin? What could it mean? Niyol is convinced Coyote's den is on Mt Diablo, but nothing we've found so far points that way, you know?"

"Have you ever heard of any connection between Native Americans and Merlin?"

Teddy thought for a moment, mentally riffling through index cards in his head full of legends and lore that he'd picked up in classes and books. "I haven't, but I suppose anything's possible."

"Maybe you should ask Harry? He knows about some weird shit," Duncan ventured.

"I told you, I'm not asking Harry for help. You know how suspicious he is. He'd figure it out in two seconds and then we'd be out of it and Niyol would be super pissed at me." Teddy shuddered at the thought of the young thunderbird coming after him with those wings and that wicked beak.

"Yeah, but—" Teddy held up a finger when he heard a knock at his door.

"Yeah?" he called, not really surprised to see Harry stick his head in.

"Got a minute?" he asked, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"Gotta go, Dunk. See you tomorrow," Teddy said, angling the camera so Duncan could see Harry.

"All right, man. Later." Duncan saluted and disconnected, the screen of the phone reverting to the usual jumble of icons. Teddy tossed it onto his bed and turned to face Harry, surreptitiously putting the feather behind him.

Harry stood next to the door for a moment before shooing the cat off of Teddy's desk chair and sitting down. Intrigued by the new person, Stuart promptly jumped up into Harry's lap, kneading his thigh with his enormous paws.

Taking advantage of Harry's distraction with the cat, Teddy sat up, crossing his legs and waiting for him to say something. The only time he could remember Harry taking this long to start a conversation was when he came to give him _The Talk._ _Oh God, there's not some supplement to that coming, is there?_ he thought with alarm as his godfather cleared his throat.

"I want to apologize to you. I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you this afternoon," Harry finally said, his voice calm and solemn. Not sure what he was supposed to do, Teddy only nodded. "I didn't intend for my objections to your application for the Aurors to be quite so … strident."

Teddy nodded again, wishing he was still holding the feather so he had something in his hands to manipulate. This was not a side Harry showed to anyone very often and a heavy awkwardness filled the room. Harry took a deep breath and started again. "Listen, being an Auror changed me in some not very nice ways, all right? Sometimes I really didn't like who I was and I know Ginny didn't." He looked down at the cat and gave a half-smile. "Lots of girls didn't, in fact."

 _Lots of girls?_ Burning with curiosity about these changes and the girls, Teddy held himself back with an effort, simply nodding once more, feeling rather like one of those bobblehead dolls they gave away at baseball games. Harry looked back up at him and shrugged. "I don't want you to be changed the way I was. I don't want to see you go from … you to someone else entirely. It's a hard, dark job and with your abilities, I just know you're going to be in the middle of whatever emergency is happening."

The thought of being in the thick of things sounded absolutely amazing to Teddy and he schooled his features to neutrality. "But my mum did it, didn't she?"

"She did and she was fantastic at it. She was the one that got me thinking of it, to be honest. I don't know what price she paid for it, though. Maybe she wasn't an Auror long enough for it to have left a mark on her, but I know it would have eventually." Harry fell silent once more, absently stroking the cat as he looked off into the middle distance, eyes full of memories.

"D'you think … do you think my dad would have made her quit?" Teddy asked, voicing a question that had long been on his mind.

"Oh, no one could _make_ your mum do anything. She was rather like your godmother in that respect." Harry shook his head. "No, your dad was older and had seen more of the world than Tonks had and he knew what sort of woman she was. I think that's what drew him to her."

Teddy wanted to get out the photo album his gran had made for him when he left England to come to school in California. It was full of pictures of his mum and dad, including a portrait of his mum in her formal robes when she qualified as a full Auror. One of his favorite pictures was from when they must have been courting; his mother was sitting on the same flower print sofa he'd jumped around on as a child and his father was perched on the arm. In the picture, his father leaned down and whispered in his mother's ear, making her hair turn an even brighter pink as she covered her giggle with her hand.

 _He was definitely drawn to her,_ he thought with a soft sigh. _I would have been, too._

"So, if you want to apply to the Auror academy with Duncan, I won't stop you. But I still want you to apply to university," Harry said, breaking into his reverie.

Teddy hardly dared to believe what he was hearing and he felt his heart speed up. "Are you serious? Yes, yes, I'll apply to a dozen universities!" He sprang up off the bed and pumped his fists in the air as Harry shook his head.

"Well, a dozen is overkill, yeah? And you may not be thanking me a year from now when you're arse-deep in Potions and obstacle courses." Harry pushed the cat off his lap and stood, watching as Teddy continued to dance around the room.

Teddy stopped his capering and looked at Harry. He stood next to the desk chair, looking at him a little uncertainly and Teddy felt a surge of affection for the man that had always been there when he needed him. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd wrapped his arms around his godfather in a tight hug, feeling Harry stiffen in surprise before relaxing, hugging him back.

Feeling the sting of tears in his eyes, Teddy hugged Harry tighter. "I won't let you down," he said, his voice rough.

"I know you won't. You never do."


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, as promised, Teddy had lunch with Katie in the school cafeteria. "Oh man, you're in for it today," Duncan said during fourth period Potions. "Katie had Mom going practically all night."

Teddy groaned as he checked the contents of his cauldron and turned down the burner underneath. "I thought it was just going to be sandwiches and crisps."

"Just wait," Duncan sang with a smug smile, stirring his cauldron.

In the lunchroom, Kelly waved to Teddy from the team's usual table, patting the seat next to her. "Hey, so um, I'm having lunch with Duncan's sister today," Teddy said, leaning down next to her.

"With Katie?" she asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, it's a long story. I'm sorry."

Kelly turned to him, sea-green eyes serious. "As long as you're not trying to tell me that you're throwing me over for a younger woman."

Teddy felt a flush rise to his cheeks and he hastily controlled the blood flow. "Um …" he stammered, relieved when she broke out in a smile.

"It's okay. After all, I'm not even your girlfriend, am I?" She gave him a challenging look and he lost his grip on controlling his blush, feeling the hot rush of the blood staining his cheeks.

"Teddy," Katie's voice sang behind him, "I saved a nice spot by the window for us."

Casting one last look at Kelly, Teddy sighed and stood up, plastering a smile on his face. "Well, let's see what's for lunch, all right?"

Katie heaved a huge basket onto the table, setting it down with a thump and Teddy raised his eyebrows as she opened it, bringing out honest-to-God plates and silverware. She spread a crisp, white napkin on his lap, nearly making him jump. "Um, you didn't have to go to this much trouble just for lunch, Katie," Teddy said as she began to take out tightly-sealed metal containers.

"It wasn't any trouble at all," she said airily, opening the first container. "Appetizer." She carefully placed three crispy brown balls onto his plate, spooning a tomato sauce over them and sprinkling some freshly-grated parmesan cheese on top.

He watched as Katie served herself and looked at him expectantly, fork poised over her own dish. "All right then." He cut into one of the balls and to his surprise it was macaroni and cheese, the perfectly oozy consistency underneath the crunchy fried shell. "Did you make this?" he asked after swallowing his first bite.

"Well, Mom helped," Katie said, her cheeks flushing pink. "She won't let me deep-fry anything yet, but I made the breadcrumb mix."

"This is really good." Teddy dragged his next bite through the tomato sauce. "I'll have to tell Harry about these."

"Do you want the recipe? I can send it to you," Katie said, sounding very excited at the thought of Harry actually making one of her mother's recipes.

"Yeah, thanks." Teddy popped another bite into his mouth, rolling his eyes at Duncan across the lunchroom. A moment later, he felt his phone buzz and he read the message on the screen.

 _Ha ha, we've got like two dozen of those things at home. Guess what I'm having for dinner tonight?_ Duncan's message said. Teddy sent back the middle finger icon, grinning when his friend flipped him off in person.

The main course was a delicious beef stew that Katie insisted was boeuf bourguignon with a crusty French baguette. Teddy thought that he would have to start inviting himself over to dinner with the Suttons more often. He found himself enjoying the meal, in spite of Katie practically watching every bite that went into his mouth. "Did you bring the feather to show to Ms Chau?" she asked as he dipped a crust into the delicious stew.

"Yeah. You wanna see it?" Katie nodded and he reached into the breast pocket of his shirt, pulling it out and handing it to her. He watched as she looked at it carefully, pulling it through her fingers to assess the texture. "Well?"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure anymore it's from a merlin or a gyrfalcon," she said with a frown. "These stripes on this half and the solid gray on the other half … And you found it in the City?"

"Yeah," Teddy nodded and swallowed his last bite. "Down by the water."

"I wonder if this could be from a peregrine falcon? See how it's shaped?" She held it up and traced one edge with a finger. "This feather is built for speed and a peregrine is literally the fastest thing with wings. They hunt other birds and there's lots of seagulls and pigeons over there." She gave it back to Teddy and looked at his empty bowl. "Time for dessert!"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly eat …" Teddy trailed off when she brought out the last container, lifting the lid off of a pile of dark molasses cookies. "Well, maybe I could fit in a couple," he amended hastily.

"I made these all by myself," she said shyly as she set three hand-sized cookies on his plate.

Teddy picked one up and bit into it, the taste of molasses and ginger exploding onto his taste buds, Katie practically staring a hole through him as he chewed and swallowed. "It's really good," he said, holding back a grin as she practically glowed with pleasure at his compliment.

"Thanks. I've decided I'm going to be the world's best baker when I graduate. I'm going to open my own shop," she said, biting into her own cookie.

"Yeah? Must be nice to have it all figured out already."

"But I thought you were going into the Auror academy with my brother?"

"Well, yeah, I want to," Teddy said, picking up another cookie. "Harry was kind of giving me a hard time about it, but he seems to have come around."

"Oh? Why would he not want you to be an Auror?"

Teddy hesitated, knowing that Harry likely wouldn't be too chuffed if he told one of his students what Harry had told him about his experiences as an Auror, so he just shrugged. "He thinks it's pretty dangerous and he worries about me, I guess."

"Well, in my family, being an Auror is kind of like a tradition. My dad, my grandpa, his dad … um … and that's all I know," Katie said. "Do you want this other cookie?"

"No, thank you. I feel like I'm about to explode." Teddy sat back and patted his stomach for emphasis. "Thanks for your help with the feather."

"Sure. Birds are kind of a hobby of mine. If I don't become a baker, I'll probably be a magizoologist." Katie started packing up the containers and dishes, casting efficient Cleaning Charms on them before putting them back in the basket.

"Did you two sweethearts have a nice lunch?" Duncan snatched the last cookie from the plate and shoved it into his mouth. "You really outdid yourself with these," he said with his mouth full.

"This was simply a lunch between friends," Katie said haughtily, looking at her brother with disgust as he chewed with his mouth open. She looked shyly at Teddy. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. See you." Katie picked up the much lighter basket and Teddy watched as she went directly to the table she usually sat at with her friends, all of them immediately putting their heads together for what he assumed would be a blow-by-blow breakdown of their lunch together.

Duncan took her vacated seat, turning it around the wrong way and grinned at him. "So?"

"So what?"

"So are you and my sister dating now? Isn't Ginny Harry's best friend's sister?"

"I'm not dating anyone right now," Teddy snorted, picking up the feather again.

Duncan raised an eyebrow and sat up straight. "No? What about Kelly?"

"We're just going to the dance. She hasn't said if she wants to actually, um, date or …" Teddy said, glancing over to where Kelly still sat with the team. She was talking to Maria and Jenny and he felt his heart skip a beat when she casually pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Or what?" Duncan prompted, snapping his fingers in front of Teddy's nose.

"Or if she wants to be my girlfriend, all right? Leave off!" Teddy pushed Duncan's hand away and glared at him. "What about you and Alison? Are you dating?"

Duncan's mouth fell open, making him look like a hooked fish and Teddy started laughing as the lunch bell rang. "Come on, Romeo. Katie said she thought this might actually be a peregrine falcon feather. Let's cruise by Ms Chau before Defense and see what she says."

"Won't that make us late?" Duncan asked, shouldering his bag and following Teddy out of the lunchroom.

"What's Harry going to do, give me a detention? Then he'll just have to stay late, too. Come on."

* * *

"Mr Lupin, Mr Sutton, you are both late," Harry said when they walked into his class. He stood at the front, blazer off and shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, wand in hand. "Since you have decided that you don't need to hear my introduction, perhaps you'd like to demonstrate the Poltergeist Containment Spell for the rest of the class?"

"Uh," Teddy said, conscious of the entire class staring at him, "there doesn't seem to be any poltergeist here, sir."

"Isn't there? Are you sure about that?"

Just then an empty desk at the back of the room shot up into the air with a loud bang, causing everyone to gasp and turn around. A translucent little man hovered in the air, a wicked grin splitting his face. _Where the hell did Harry get a poltergeist?_ Teddy had time to think before the ghost headed straight for him, spectral fingers extended into claws.

" _Protego!_ " he cried, getting a shield up in front of him and Duncan just in time. The poltergeist, unable to stop in time, hit it head on and bounced back, rubbing his nose.

"That wasn't very nice!" he declared in a high-pitched voice and rose higher, determined to take another run at them over the top of the shield.

Teddy looked over at Harry. He stood at ease with his arms folded, looking amused at the fact that an increasingly pissed-off ghost was coming for his godson and his best friend. _No help there. God, what was that spell? "Exspriavit Captionem!"_ he yelled as he dropped the shield, remembering the strange underhand wand movement at the last second.

An orange and purple light surrounded the poltergeist, freezing him in place. "No! No fair! Wizards never play fair!" he screeched, looking like he was trying to expand to escape out of the conjured prison. It was no use, however, as the light holding him simply enlarged with him.

"Orville, we had an agreement," Harry said, stepping forward. The poltergeist immediately stopped trying to escape and adopted a servile attitude, rubbing his hands together and giving Harry a toothy smile.

"Yes, our agreement. Orville will let himself be trapped by youngling wizards and the great Harry Potter will allow Orville to go back to haunting his hotel."

"Indeed. Your help is deeply appreciated," Harry said, surprising Teddy when he gave the poltergeist a shallow bow. "Now, Duncan, I noticed that Teddy was the one that cast the containment spell. I will release our friend and then it will be your turn. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Duncan said quietly as Harry pointed at Teddy and then to his usual desk, his meaning clear.

Teddy sank gratefully into his seat, resolving to never be late for Harry's class again as he watched Duncan take on the minimally cooperative spirit. _Well, at least Ms Chau confirmed it's a peregrine falcon feather. Now we just need to figure out what a castle and a peregrine falcon have to do with the entrance to Coyote's den._

He brooded on the subject while he automatically took notes on the theory behind the containment spell, Harry managing to drop Hermione's name as the inventor. Clearly, she did not harbor fond memories of the Hogwarts poltergeist, Peeves, and had worked hard to create a spell that would contain their mischief. _Mt Diablo, a castle and a falcon. What. The. Fuck,_ he thought, doodling a sketch of the castle they'd found on the bell clapper on his notes.

 _Maybe Kelly will have some ideas._ As usual these days, thoughts of Kelly turned to thoughts of the upcoming Winter Formal. _I wonder how she'll wear her hair? She usually has it in a braid or a pony tail … I wonder what it would look like loose or curly? Oh, can I get her to send me a picture of her dress? I'll say I need it to make sure I got the right color vest …_

He was so wrapped up in daydreaming about Kelly in her dress and dancing with her underneath colored lights that he didn't realize the bell for the end of class had rung until Duncan elbowed him. "You still with us or did you go off to the Twilight Zone?" he said with that annoying smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I'm here," Teddy said, quickly shoving his doodle-covered notes into his bag. "Sorry about being late," he said to Harry as they passed by his desk on the way out. "We had to ask Ms Chau a few questions."

Harry looked up at him, taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose. It had been a very active and noisy class with all of the students taking their turns at capturing Orville and Teddy didn't doubt that he had a headache. "Everything all right?" he asked, putting his glasses back on.

"Oh, yeah, fine. I just found a feather yesterday when I was … out and I wasn't sure what kind it was," Teddy said, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the acknowledgement of their argument yesterday.

"Can I see it?"

"Um, sure." Teddy took it out of the inner pocket of his blazer and handed it to Harry, trying not to hold his breath as he touched it, looking at it closely.

"Hm, it's some sort of raptor. Not an owl, and I don't think a hawk. Looks a bit small for an eagle. Definitely a primary feather, though. Falcon?" he asked, handing it back to Teddy who took it with a definite feeling of relief.

 _Whew. Just an ordinary feather,_ he thought. He'd been worried that Harry's essential _Harry-ness_ would trigger something strange about the feather and then he'd have to answer all sorts of questions about where he'd found it and what he was doing with it. "Yeah. Ms Chau said it's from a peregrine falcon," he said, tucking it back into his inner pocket.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "And you found it where you were yesterday?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'd heard that there were a few peregrines in the City, but I hear most of them are out at Mt Diablo in a spot called Castle Rock," Harry said with a shrug, uncapping a red pen and pulling a stack of papers toward him.

Teddy felt like he'd been whacked over the head with a Beater bat and he heard a roaring in his ears. "What?"

"You remember—a couple of years ago we were going to go on that hike, but the area was closed. It was their nesting season."

"Oh, I'd completely forgotten," Teddy said faintly, earning another look from Harry.

"You'd better get going, yeah? Don't want to be late for Charms. You know Ms Peterson doesn't like tardies."

Teddy grunted and shuffled out of the classroom, his head feeling oddly disconnected from his body. Once outside in the walkway, he turned to Duncan, eyes wide. "Castle Rock. That's where we'll find the den."

"You think so? Hmm." Duncan narrowed his eyes in thought. "Have you ever been up there?"

"No. You?"

"No. I don't know anything about it."

Teddy sighed, pulling open the door to Ms Peterson's Charms classroom. "Then I guess we'd better learn."

* * *

"So how was your lunch with Katie?" Kelly asked with an arched brow.

Teddy felt a blush starting and ruthlessly squashed it. "Sorry about that," he said, taking a quick look around to make sure they were alone. They were sitting on a bench by the fountain in the quad underneath a strategically-placed Warming Charm while he waited for Harry to be done for the day so he could drive them home. "I found another clue the other day and she kind of helped us out with it."

Kelly sat up straight, her sea green eyes wide. "You did? What did you find? Where did you find it?"

Teddy drew out the feather and handed it to her. "It's a peregrine falcon feather. I found it yesterday afternoon out at Aquatic Park just laying there on the ground. I knew it wasn't just a seagull or pigeon feather, so I picked it up on the off chance that it was significant."

She looked at it closely, gently bending it and running it through her fingers and Teddy was surprised to see her smell it. "What does lunch with Katie have to do with this?"

"She butted in when we were on the phone and said she knew what it was and wanted to have lunch with me in return." Teddy did his best to look like having a girl several years younger than him serve him a three-course lunch was something he did all the time.

"I see. Did you tell her about Coyote and Niyol?"

"No way. That's way above her pay grade." Teddy grinned, glad that she wasn't put out over the lunch.

"So did you figure it out? What the feather and the castle mean?"

"Harry figured it out, actually."

"What? You told him?" Kelly asked, genuine surprise in her voice.

"No! I'd be neck-deep in shite if I did! Duncan and I went by Ms Chau before Defense and asked her about the feather since Katie wasn't a hundred percent sure what sort it was and we were a little late for class."

"Oh? You were late for _Harry Potter's_ class? Do tell!" Kelly sat back on the bench, wide grin on her face in anticipation of hearing what punishment Harry had meted out.

Teddy scratched the back of his neck, the feeling of everyone in the class staring at him returning with a vengeance. "We had to do a live demonstration of the Poltergeist Containment spell in front of the whole class."

"We haven't done that one yet. Was there really a poltergeist?"

"Yeah, there was. Little guy called Orville or something."

"Where does he find these things?"

Teddy shook his head. "I do not know, but he does. Anyway, I apologized for being late and showed him the feather and he said that peregrines are up at Castle Rock at Mt Diablo."

"Just like that?" Kelly asked, snapping her fingers.

"Just like that."

"So now what?"

"Haven't gotten that far. I was kind of hoping that Duncan would be around and we could chat about it. Have you seen him? I lost track of him after Charms."

"I saw him walking that way with Alison," she said, pointing toward the gym.

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Well that's very interesting." He looked toward the gym, mind racing with speculation. He glanced at Kelly, looking away when he saw her looking back at him. "Um, so, the dance is at eight," he said, trying to fill the suddenly awkward silence. "I'll come pick you and Alison up at six?" He'd managed to get Harry to allow him to drive Duncan and him over to Kelly's where they'd pick up the girls before heading over to dinner. Harry had practically made him swear an Unbreakable Vow that he wouldn't let Duncan drive.

"Yeah, that should be fine. I'm going to warn you, though, my mom will want to take a ton of pictures," she said, breaking into a smile. Teddy's heart beat just a little faster.

"Should we come earlier, then? Five-thirty?"

"That might not be a bad idea. Mom can get a little crazy with the poses sometimes," she said, looking apologetic.

"I know what you mean. Ginny can be a real shutterbug, too. Anytime James does something, here comes the camera," Teddy said with a good-natured roll of his eyes.

"Mrs Potter's so pretty with all of that long, red hair." She glanced up at him though her lashes, giving him only a glimpse of her sea-green eyes. "Do you like long hair?"

"Erm …" Teddy said, thinking about Ginny's hair. "Dunno. Never seen it short. I suppose she'd look all right with it shorter, but I've never given it any thought."

Kelly huffed and tapped him on his shoulder. "Not on her, silly! On me!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Teddy felt his face heat up with embarrassment and he subconsciously managed his appearance so the blush didn't show. He looked at Kelly, taking in her expression of wry amusement and breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling unexpectedly bold, he reached out and gave her customary long blonde braid a gentle tug. "I like whatever you like," he said, lifting an eyebrow, pleased to see her cheeks grow pinker.

"Flatterer," she said, pulling on her braid and arranging it over her shoulder. "I haven't decided if I'll wear it down or up yet. I've been practicing styling spells. _Teen Witch_ had some new ones in the latest issue I want to try."

Teddy listened to her talk about hair styles, makeup and necklines, thoroughly enchanted. He was so used to seeing her on the Quidditch pitch, flying hard with a determined expression and a Quaffle in her hands that he was very surprised to discover this other side of her.

Disappointment crashed through him at the sight of Harry leaving his classroom and locking the door. "Time to go," he said, hefting his bag onto his shoulder and taking a deep breath, a wash of vertigo coming over him. "What about me? What do you like?" he asked, changing the color and length of his hair. He was in the middle of generating a head of dark spiral curls like that guitarist when she smiled and put her hand on the side of his cheek, nearly causing him to jump at the contact.

"I like you," she said simply. "Just you." Teddy held his breath until she took her hand away, convinced he'd feel the heat of her palm the rest of the day.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked, looking at the both of them over his glasses. "All right, Kelly? Do you need to Floo home?"

"No, Mr Potter. My dad's coming to get me. We're having a daddy/daughter dinner tonight," she said, turning a bit pink. "It's a thing we do."

"See you tomorrow, then." Teddy stood up, wishing he dared squeeze her hand or something in front of Harry.

Kelly waved and nodded, giving him a bright smile as her phone started to ring.

"So, you and Kelly look to be getting quite close," Harry said once they were in the car.

"Harry," Teddy groaned as he adjusted the mirrors. "Don't."

"Don't what? Don't notice that you're growing up and embarking on your first relationship? That you're learning about life's magic that is all around us?" Harry grinned at him, eyes alight with mischief.

"Yeah, none of that, all right? It's so embarrassing!"

"Listen, I'm your godfather. Embarrassing you is part of my job description."

* * *

 _Apparently embarrassing me is in the job description for godmothers, too,_ Teddy thought grumpily as he took off the cumbersome dress robes. Ginny had insisted that he try the whole ensemble on so she could have a look at him and determine if any last-minute adjustments needed to be made.

"I'm sure they're fine. Marianne's is supposed to be top-notch," he'd protested when she brought it up at the end of dinner.

"They were expensive enough," Harry grumbled, causing Ginny to glare at him.

"Humor me, then, all right? I want to make sure I got my money's worth," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Both of you." She clapped her hands together twice, James mimicking her and adding his own little echo.

"Me, too? I don't see why I should be made to suffer along with—" Harry started, silenced by a twitch of his wife's eyebrow. "Yes, love."

Teddy took off the waistcoat and matching tie, tossing them onto his bed, an action he was sure Ginny would have taken him to task for if she'd been in the room. The white dress shirt followed and he stood in front of the full-length mirror in just his slacks, looking critically at himself.

He was just about as tall as Harry, but he felt he was still too skinny for his own good, lacking his godfather's wiry musculature that made him deceptively strong. When he'd complained about it to Duncan, his friend had simply snorted and said, "Wait until we start training. You'll have muscles popping up everywhere."

 _I wish I knew what Dad looked like without a shirt on,_ he thought, pictures of his parents coming to mind. He'd seen for himself a gradual transformation in his father's face from thin and underfed to a more filled-out look, but that told him nothing about what sort of musculature he might have inherited. _Werewolves are supposed to be pretty strong._

Stepping closer to the mirror, he studied his face minutely, consciously letting go of any appearance-altering magic. Sandy brown hair, just a bit longer than collar-length, blue eyes and a nose he felt was a touch too beaky for its own good. He'd spent hours looking at pictures of his parents and grandparents, deciding that his nose must be from his namesake grandfather whom he'd never met.

 _I've got my mum's eye shape, though, so I've got that going for me. That mouth though is all Dad,_ he thought, running his finger over his rather thin upper lip. _I hope that's all right with Kelly._ He was in the middle of smoothing over a blemish he'd found on his cheek when his phone began to play Jungle Boogie, making him jump.

He threw on a tee shirt and picked it up. "So I heard that you and Alison went walking around the gym," he said without preamble, grinning when he heard Duncan sputtering on the other end.

"What? Who told you that?" he said when he finally recovered the power of speech.

"I never reveal my sources."

"Katie. I know she told you. Little sisters are the worst!"

Teddy lay down on his bed, putting his free hand behind his head. "So are you guys going out, then?"

"A gentleman never kisses and tells," Duncan said haughtily.

"Since when are you a gentleman?" Teddy snorted, patting Stuart as he made himself comfortable on his stomach. "What are you going to do when you're at the academy and she's out on the east coast at school?" Kelly had told him that Alison had applied only to schools on the east coast as she was eager to get out on her own.

"Teddy, we're wizards. Long-distance doesn't exist." Duncan sounded confident, but Teddy privately thought that he was in for a rude awakening. "Anyway, listen, I called because we need to strategize this den thing."

"Aw, I thought you called to tell me all about how soft your girlfriend's lips are."

"Get fucked, Lupin," Duncan said before pausing for a moment. "Though her lips _are_ pretty soft. Anyway, den. You think it's at Castle Rock?"

"That seems to be where the clues are pointing, isn't it?"

"Have you looked at any maps?"

"Not yet. I had to do a bloody fashion show for Ginny in my new dress robes right after dinner."

"Oh, so are you going to be a fashion model now? Strut your stuff on the catwalk? You ever watch models? They always look all pissed off that everyone is looking at them. Duh, it's what you do. All you do is wear clothes and get looked at."

Teddy groaned at Duncan's tangent and pushed the cat off his stomach, sitting down at his desk and opening his laptop. "Focus. I'm going to check the Mt Diablo website right now and see what we're dealing with."

"I've already got it up."

"That's what she said," Teddy said automatically as the page loaded. "Okay, so I have a map. Looks like Castle Rock is way over to the west side of the park close to Walnut Creek."

"Yes, I see that. How're we getting over there? When are we getting over there?"

"I've been thinking about that. How far can you Apparate?"

"Um, well … I dunno really. I haven't really had to go very far. I mainly Apparate from home to school and back. Dude, it's so great not being covered in Floo powder all the time."

Teddy grunted as he looked at the map, bringing up another map and zooming out so he could see the whole Bay Area. "Okay, so what you're saying is that you probably wouldn't be able to Apparate the both of us from somewhere here in town to Mt Diablo."

"Um, are you interested in keeping all of your bits and pieces?"

"Very."

"Then no. No, I cannot." Duncan was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "What I _can_ do though is probably get the two of us to the school."

"Go on …"

"So check it out," Duncan said, voice sounding excited, "I Apparate us to the school and we take a couple of brooms over to the park!"

"Mm-hm, sounds good so far," Teddy said, looking at the map and trying to gauge the distance between the school and their destination inside the park. "How sure are you on that Apparating?"

"Pretty sure," Duncan said, not sounding very sure at all. "Maybe we should practice a bit? When are we trying this?"

"Hmm …" Teddy spun around in his desk chair as he thought. "No chance during the week, and Saturday is the dance. Sunday, I guess?"

"Yeah, that should work. It's kind of our last chance before break. What if we don't find it and get the whisker?"

"Well, I mean, I told Niyol I'd do my best but I couldn't guarantee success." Teddy took a deep breath and stopped spinning, feeling a little bit queasy. "I really hope we get the whisker though. It would be pretty cool to meet a deity, you know?"

"Yeah it would. What's our cover?"

"Um … a movie? We've used it before."

"An oldie but a goodie. So, now that we've got that settled, what's up with you and Kelly? Saw you out by the fountain. Is she bent about Katie?"

"Nah, she's cool. I showed her the feather and stuff."

"And stuff. Uh-huh."

"Ugh, we were just talking. That's not even a private spot, is it?" Teddy paused, a grin coming over his face. "Not like the back side of the gym. That's nice and private."

"You're the worst, Lupin."

"But you love me."

"God help us all."


	8. Chapter 8

Teddy stood in front of the mirror, trying to figure out what to do with his hair. For all of his vaunted Metamorphmagus power, he could never quite duplicate Harry's debonair casual style, something his godfather insisted his hair "just did". "What if I part it in the other direction?" He vigorously attacked his hair with his brush, frowning at the result. "That just looks dumb," he told his reflection, brushing it back into his usual style.

"Well, I guess that's that." Teddy patted his hair a bit more into place and sighed, turning to the dress robes hanging on the back of the closet. After he was satisfied with the knot on his tie, he slid on the waistcoat and then the heavy robes, tugging and pulling until they felt right.

Nodding at himself, he left his room, walking out into the lounge and spreading his arms. Harry was at the breakfast bar, reading over a magazine while he waited for Ginny to finish getting ready. "Well?" he asked, turning around in a circle.

Harry stared at him, mouth slightly open and Teddy surreptitiously checked his flies. "What?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head as if he were coming out of a reverie. "You look great. Fantastic."

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." Teddy punched him in the shoulder, grinning when Harry tapped him back. "Bet you five dollars Mrs Peterson asks to dance with you."

"I will not be taking that bet," Harry said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What bet? Who's betting?" Ginny asked, heels clicking on the wood floor as she came out of the bedroom.

Teddy turned and stared at his godmother. She was in a gold dress that seemed to shimmer in the lights of the lounge, the neckline exposing her finely-made collarbones. The skirt of the dress came just to her knees and she had gold strappy high heels that gave her an extra couple of inches of height. Her hair, rather than its usual straight self, exploded around her head in a nimbus of curls, held in place by an elaborate arrangement of hair combs.

"Wow," Harry said quietly, walking forward to take Ginny's hand in his, raising it to his lips. As he watched them, Teddy knew that he'd pretty much ceased to exist to them as they looked at each other and he wondered if that's how it had been for his parents as well.

Ginny laid her hand on her husband's cheek and pulled him down for a kiss. Teddy felt his face grow hot and he looked away. He was no stranger to Harry and Ginny kissing in front of him, but this time it seemed like they deserved a bit of privacy.

A moment later and they were just his godparents again, Ginny smiling brightly at Teddy. "Come over here and let me look at you in the light," she said, holding out her hand. He obligingly stepped forward and bore her attentions as she adjusted his robes, tie, waistcoat and hair before finally stepping back, an odd look on her face.

"What?" Teddy asked, exasperated by the attention.

"You look just like him," she said with a wistful smile.

"Like Remus," Harry clarified. "I have some pictures I'll show you."

"Um, thanks," Teddy said, feeling a little bit awkward. He'd seen pictures of his parents and never really thought he looked much like the scarred, careworn werewolf his father had been as an adult. _I guess he's younger in the pictures Harry has,_ he thought as they got ready to leave the house.

"Here," Ginny said, putting a plastic box in his hands. Teddy looked down, raising his eyebrows at the orchid nestled inside.

"Thanks," he said, kissing Ginny on the cheek. "I forgot."

"I know." She smiled up at him and he grinned back, glad that she'd remembered. She turned to Harry and took his hand. "Did you get James to Sarah and Archimedes all right?"

"Of course. Sarah said we don't have to pick him up ever."

"So tempting …" Ginny said as she checked her handbag. "It feels odd to be leaving the house with only this tiny bag," she remarked.

"You should get that spell from Hermione, then you can carry everything in an elegant little bag," Harry said, helping her on with her jacket. "Ready?" he asked Teddy, who nodded and took his hand as he Apparated them to the garage.

Teddy looked at the sleek car shining in the lights of the garage and felt his excitement mount as Harry handed him the keys. "Now, I'm trusting you not only with this car, but with the lives of your friends, yeah?" he said solemnly, giving him what Teddy thought of as his Ultimate Teacher Look and he nodded. "Only you will drive this car tonight. Not Duncan, not Kelly, not Alison. You will drive the speed limit. If you speed, I will know. If anyone else gets behind the wheel, I will know. Clear?"

"Crystal," Teddy said, clutching the keys in his sweaty hand.

Ginny squeezed his arm and gave him a reassuring smile. "Have fun tonight at dinner with your friends," she said. "Smile big and make sure that Mrs Taylor sends me copies of the pictures, okay?"

"Okay." Teddy pressed the button to unlock the car and got in, feeling silly as he adjusted the seat and mirrors while Harry and Ginny stood outside watching him. Finally, he gave a little wave and backed carefully out of the parking spot, keeping an eye on them in the rearview mirror as he exited the garage. Harry stood with his arm around Ginny, tall and imposing in his formal dress robes. Teddy had a brief moment where he wished it were his parents standing there to see him off, but he shook his head, thinking back to his encounter with the strange old man when he found the feather. _Parents only ever want the best for their children._

* * *

"Well, he's off," Ginny said, a trace of wistfulness in her voice.

Harry sighed and nodded. "Yeah."

"Does he know exactly how many spells are on that car?"

"He knows a few of them. Dirt-repelling, window-darkening, petrol-replenishing … the usual," Harry said, taking Ginny's hand in his.

"But he doesn't know the others? Collision-avoidance, speed control, driver access control, anti-speed detection?" Ginny squeezed his hand in hers as they headed for the stairwell.

"Oh no. He does not need to know that he can drive right off the bridge and not take any damage," Harry snorted. "That's the last thing he needs to know about that car."

"Good. Where are we going for dinner?"

"Dunno. Sushi's out," he said, laying a hand on her barely-curved belly. "Steak?"

"Hmm." Ginny pursed her lips and paused on the stairs, making them the same height. "It occurs to me that we have an empty house for the first time in months," she purred, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him close.

"Yeah? So what are you saying?" Harry asked, nuzzling her neck. The smell of the perfume on her skin tickled his nose as he took a deep breath.

"I think you know exactly what I'm saying." Harry closed his eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair, bringing his mouth to hers for a hard kiss.

"You want a home-cooked dinner?" he said, giving her his best innocent look when they broke apart, sure that she could hear his heart thundering in his chest.

"Hmm," she hummed through pursed lips. "I was thinking about a couple of quick sandwiches eaten standing up in the kitchen."

Harry cocked an eyebrow, leaning back to catch the wicked gleam in her brown eyes. "This is a bit earlier than last time," he murmured.

"I know! We should take advantage of it. Who knows what I'll feel like next week?"

"Well. Never let it be said that Harry Potter failed to honor his wife's wishes," he whispered as he silently Apparated them back home.

* * *

Teddy swayed gently underneath the swirling colored lights in the St Ambrose all-purpose room, Kelly's head resting on his shoulder. The room had been transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with magically-generated snow gently falling from the ceiling. Since it was magic, it didn't melt and both he and Kelly had a generous dusting of it in their hair. Teddy thought she looked beautiful with the ersatz snowflakes in her shining blonde hair.

So far, the night had gone well. He'd had a bad case of nerves when he'd arrived at her house and had to go back to the car for the corsage, face hot with embarrassment when she held out her wrist expectantly. He had a vague impression of Alison in some sort of pink, frilly dress, but Kelly in her sleek, figure-hugging emerald green dress would be imprinted on his memory forever.

Another thing that would be imprinted on his memory was the look her father gave him when he walked in the door. Adam Taylor was very tall, very wide and very much a Muggle, something that had surprised Teddy when he found out. He stood with his arms crossed, considerable biceps bulging as Kelly's mom snapped away with her camera. The constant flash of the camera couldn't keep Teddy from seeing the frown on Mr Taylor's face that deepened every time he laid a hand on his only daughter.

"How in the world did your parents even meet?" he asked Kelly when they were finally on the way to dinner.

"They met at a college frat party, if you can believe it!" she said with a laugh. "My mom had a very adventurous friend and she dragged her to this party up by Cal. He couldn't figure out how she kept winning at beer pong and the rest is history."

"Aw, that's adorable!" Alison exclaimed from the backseat.

"Yeah, they're ridiculously cute together. Makes me and my brother gag sometimes," she said and Teddy tried and failed to imagine the imposing Mr Taylor being cute with anyone.

Dinner at the agreed-upon Indian restaurant had gone very well and Teddy had half-expected to see Harry and Ginny there, but they weren't. "I guess they found something else to do for dinner," he remarked as he slathered a piece of naan with dal makahni.

"What's it like to actually live with Harry Potter?" Alison asked, leaning forward with an eager expression.

"Um …" Teddy chewed slowly, thinking over her question. "Fine, I guess?"

"Just fine? What about the whole … _Harry Potter_ thing? You know, from history and stuff?" she said, sounding genuinely perplexed.

"You mean the whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' thing?" Teddy shrugged, tearing off another piece of naan and dipping the corner in the last of his butter chicken sauce. "It's not really a thing in our house, or ever really, now that I think about it. He's always just been Harry to me. In fact, I didn't even know half of that stuff until we covered it in Ms Okefor's class."

"So you didn't know anything about the basilisk or the Dark Lord or any of it?" Duncan asked, eyes narrowed speculatively.

"Nope. No one ever said, 'Oi, Teddy, here's your godfather. He killed a bloody big snake when he was twelve. What've you done besides soil your nappy?'" Teddy broadened his accent as he grinned and popped the last bite of naan in his mouth, flushing with pride at Kelly's giggle.

"The Dark Lord, that's when your parents died, right?" Kelly asked, taking his hand underneath the table.

Teddy nodded. "Yeah. Nobody's really sure how it happened though. I understand it was very chaotic."

"And are you mad at Harry? Because of your parents?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand tight.

The question surprised him and he glanced quickly at Duncan and Alison, seeing the bare curiosity on their faces. "No," he said after several moments. "I mean, it wasn't his fault, was it? They had a choice and they made it," he said quietly, avoiding the eyes looking at him. That choice was something he'd thought about often, wondering why they had chosen to leave him and go fight against the Death Eaters. _Were they more loyal to Harry than to their own son?_

"Speaking of choices," Duncan said loudly, "when are you putting in your application to the Auror academy? My dad said the earlier the better."

Teddy took a long slurp of his Coke and grinned at his best friend. "I actually have good news about that. Harry's finally going to let me put in my application."

"Are you serious?" Duncan held out his hand and Teddy gave him a high five across the table. "Finally!"

"He didn't want you to apply?" Kelly asked curiously. "Wasn't he an Auror?"

"That's exactly why. He's convinced that it's too dangerous and I'll get killed or something." Teddy shrugged and finished the last of his Coke, sitting back in his seat with a groan.

"Well, at least he lets you out of the house," Kelly said wryly. "Mom had to do some really fast talking to get Dad to agree to this dance."

"Why didn't he want you to go to the dance?" Alison asked. "I've been going to the formals since I was a Freshman."

"He says that he's seen plenty of regular teenagers get themselves in trouble at dances and parties and that with the addition of magic, there's just that much more potential for getting hurt. He's a fireman," she said by way of explanation.

"Yeah, but just because we can do magic doesn't automatically mean we'll get into more trouble," Teddy said as he tried to reason out Mr Taylor's logic.

"Come on, doesn't it?" Duncan said, raising an eyebrow at him. "What about that time we—"

Teddy raised his hand, interrupting him. "Fine, you've proved your point," he said, sure he knew which incident he was referring to. _Don't need Kelly to know about that right now,_ he thought, giving his best friend a glare.

Teddy had taken great satisfaction in telling Duncan that he absolutely couldn't let him drive the car from the restaurant to the school. "Harry said he'd know if someone else got behind the wheel and I don't know about you, but I don't particularly care to test that, all right?"

Duncan grudgingly agreed and they spent the ride to the school coming up with exactly how Harry would punish Teddy upon discovering that he'd let someone else drive. "He'd probably Apparate right on the hood of the car and start yelling at us. I bet he'd be so pissed off that his eyes would glow," Duncan said, chortling with unholy glee. Teddy could all too easily envision exactly that and he suppressed a shudder.

Before too long, they were on the road approaching the school and there were several students in their best finery walking from the closest Apparation point to the front gates of the school. Teddy slowed the car to a crawl and they all rolled down their windows to wave and shout to their friends.

"Wow, Teddy! Mr Potter let you drive his car?" his fellow Chaser Jordan Armstrong said, leaning his arm on the window frame.

"Yep," Teddy said proudly, buoyed by his friend's envy. "Well, I gotta get going. I'll see you in there, all right?" He pressed the button to raise the window, smiling as Jordan was pushed off the side of the car.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Duncan crowed, pounding him on the shoulder. Teddy cut his eyes to Kelly next to him, delighted at her smile.

A few moments later, he'd parked and both he and Duncan had handed their ladies out of the car, the girls covering their giggles with their hands. As usual, the faculty had done a stunning job on the all-purpose room and it had been transformed with evergreen trees filled with Mr Keller's cunningly animated hand-carved figures, animated snowmen, and plenty of mistletoe. Harry had promised that there was something new this year and they all cried out in amazement when the magical snow began to fall from the ceiling.

Duncan nudged him in the side, cocking his head over to the refreshment table where Harry and Ginny stood chatting to Headmaster Ashborough and his wife. "She looks amazing," his friend whispered to him, making Teddy elbow him in the ribs. The girls excused themselves to the ladies' room to freshen up and the boys ambled over to the refreshment table.

"Boys," the headmaster said, nodding at them.

"Headmaster," they said in unison.

"Everything all right with the car?" Harry asked, taking a sip of punch from a plastic cup.

"Yeah. You didn't get any alerts or anything, did you?" Teddy asked nervously. He knew that there were more enchantments on the car than Harry had told him and he figured it was only a matter of time before he tripped one.

"You didn't do anything to cause an alert, did you?" Harry asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"Of course not," Teddy said with more confidence than he felt.

"You look very nice tonight, Duncan," Ginny said, making him blush.

"Thanks. You look, um, amazing," he choked out, face flaming.

"Thank you, you're very sweet to say so. Where are the girls?" she asked, turning her attention to Teddy.

"They're 'freshening up'," Teddy said, gulping down a cup of punch to cover his nerves. "What did you end up doing for dinner?"

"Oh, we just did something simple," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand. "I think your dates are ready for some dancing."

Teddy turned around and quickly drank down the rest of the punch as he watched Kelly walk toward him. She looked like she'd made some adjustments to her hair and she'd reapplied her lipstick, making him ache to kiss her.

And now she was snuggled up against him in his arms as they swayed to the slow ballad playing over the DJ's impressive sound system. He sighed and closed his eyes, wishing the butterflies that had invaded his stomach would find someone else to bother. The song ended and the DJ announced a short break in his smooth, deep voice.

Kelly lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled up at him, setting those monstrous butterflies to battering his innards once more. "Are you thirsty or anything?" he asked, his own throat feeling like it was made out of sandpaper.

"Sure. Do you think we can go outside for a little bit? It's kind of stuffy in here," she said, fanning her face.

"Yeah. Be right back, okay?" He made his way through the crowd to grab two cups of punch, meeting Duncan on the way. "Me and Kelly are going to go outside for some fresh air. You guys want to come?"

Duncan looked at him skeptically. "Are you actually getting fresh air or 'fresh air'?" he asked, making air quotes with his fingers.

"Leave off. Do you want to come or not?"

"Don't get your panties in a knot, Lupin. We'll be along directly."

On the way back to Kelly, he caught Harry's eye and cocked his head at the door, getting a nod in return. Handing Kelly the cup of punch, he took her other hand, those butterflies exercising their wings again, and walked outside. A small area for tables and chairs had been set up on the walkway, surrounded by soft fairy lights and Warming Charms. This was a new development after several students had complained to the headmaster about wanting a break from the loud music.

He found an empty table and carefully pulled out a chair for his date, sitting down across from her. They sat quietly for a few minutes, looking around at the lights and decorations while they waved to some of their friends who were also enjoying the outdoor seating area. "It's nice out here," Kelly finally said, lifting her hair off her neck. She'd chosen to wear it loose tonight and Teddy found it a very nice change from her customary plait.

"Yeah, it was kind of loud and stuffy in there," Teddy said, quickly gulping down his drink. _I hope Duncan gets out here soon!_

"The DJ is really good. He's only played a few things I didn't know so far." Teddy watched as her hand slid slowly across the table top, fingers entwining with his. "Do you listen to a lot of music?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. Harry and Ginny always have something playing, usually when Harry cooks," Teddy said, curling his fingers around hers.

"Mr Potter does the cooking?" Kelly asked, amusement plain. "That seems so weird. I wouldn't have thought that of him. He always seems so serious in class, you know?"

"What's weird?" Duncan asked, flopping down into the seat next to Teddy. Alison took her seat next to Kelly much more delicately.

"That Mr Potter does the cooking at home," Kelly said, gently withdrawing her hand from Teddy's.

"Oh my God, he's amazing in the kitchen," Duncan said, leaning forward with an eager expression.

"I bet that's not the only place he's amazing," said Alison, covering her face a split-second later as she realized what she'd said. "Awwww, I can't believe I just said that!" she moaned as they all erupted in laughter.

"Anyway," Duncan said pointedly after they'd all settled down, "Harry is an excellent cook. You guys should come for Sunday dinner sometime."

"Thanks for inviting people over to my house, Dunk," Teddy said, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

"No problem." Duncan flashed him his most winning smile and Teddy grinned back, shaking his head.

They continued chatting about music and food, Teddy watching Kelly's face as she talked about her favorite bands. He noticed that her tastes ran very close to Ginny's and he wondered if all girls liked mostly the same music. They were in the middle of a heated debate about the best Beatles album when Alison sat up straight in her seat, looking at something out towards the Quidditch field.

"What was that?" she said, sounding startled.

"What was what?" Teddy asked, twisting around to look behind him. He adjusted his sight to take in more light without it being painful from the ambient light around him and didn't see anything. "Did you see something?"

"I thought I saw a flash of light, but now …"

Teddy frowned and stood. "I'm going to go check it out."

"Should we get Mr Potter?" Kelly asked, putting a hand on his arm.

"Nah." Teddy shook his head, still probing the dark Quidditch field with his enhanced vision. "Probably nothing or someone's out there messing about with a torch or _Lumos_. I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you." Kelly stood up, straightening the skirt of her dress. Alison and Duncan followed suit and Teddy shrugged.

"All right. It's probably just someone having a laugh." Teddy held out his hand for Kelly, a warmth sweeping over him when she took it. He saw Duncan and Alison were also holding hands and he didn't feel quite so out of place as they all trooped out to the dark field, following Alison's lead.

They had just reached their own home goal posts when she slowed down, looking around doubtfully. "I swear it was out over this way, but maybe …"

Teddy looked around again, stretching his Metamorphmagus skills beyond anything he'd ever done before and as his eyes moved over the tallest goal post, he saw a brief flicker of light and he quickly restored his vision to normal to avoid being blinded. "Who's there?" he called. "Is there a Freshman up on the goal? You'd better get down or I'll get Mr Potter!"

A loud boom startled the four of them and Kelly ducked her head into his shoulder as Teddy groaned. "Teddy Lupin, what is a Freshman?" Niyol said as he landed on the grass in front of them, folding his enormous wings neatly behind him.

"Aw, it's a bird!" Alison said, quickly recovering from her initial fright.

Teddy looked down at the thunderbird in consternation. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?"

"I do not need to stalk you, Teddy Lupin. You are not my prey." Niyol preened the feathers on his breast. "I sensed you were here tonight and I came here hoping to speak to you."

Duncan shot him a look and Teddy shrugged. "Well, what did you need to talk about?"

"Yoki will begin constructing her nest soon."

"When the snow comes to the mountains, right?"

Niyol gave his birdish nod, clicking his sharp beak for emphasis. "Yes. The snow will be coming soon and you still have not gotten Coyote's whisker!"

"I know, I know. Listen, I think I know where the entrance to his den is, but I haven't had a chance to get out there since figuring it out, all right? I can't exactly just tell Harry that I need to go meet with a deity one afternoon," Teddy explained, hoping the bird would understand.

Niyol cocked his head to one side, reminding Teddy of an owl. "Why not, Teddy Lupin? Harry Potter is a great wizard."

"He is a great wizard and he'd probably go great wizard all over my ass if he knew what I was intending to do," Teddy said with a nervous laugh. He glanced at Kelly and saw she was looking at the thunderbird with a mixture of awe and avid interest.

"But the snows, Teddy Lupin," Niyol said, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.

Teddy blew out a breath and nodded. "Listen, I'll try and get it done tomorrow, all right?" He looked over at Duncan who gave a stout nod. "Me and Duncan have a plan."

"You have a plan?" Kelly cut in. "You haven't mentioned it to me."

"Yeah, what is this about a coyote? Are you talking about _the_ Coyote?" Alison asked, mirroring Kelly's arm-crossed stance. "How come you haven't said anything to me about it, Duncan?"

Teddy exchanged a wide-eyed look with Duncan, glad to see that his friend looked as flummoxed as he felt. "Um, well," he began, only to be interrupted by Kelly.

"And I helped you find that first clue, too," she said, a tinge of betrayal in her voice.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be interested," Teddy said, reaching out for her hand.

She looked at him like he'd completely taken leave of his senses. "You're going to meet with a literal god and you didn't think I'd be interested?"

"Well, when you put it that way …"

"Coyote is unpredictable and dangerous. Teddy Lupin is right to protect you," Niyol said and Teddy groaned. _Way to go, bird brain._

"What makes you think I need to be protected?" Kelly asked, withdrawing her hand from Teddy's. "In case you didn't notice, I can cast a corporeal Patronus and I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself."

"I didn't say anything about protecting you!" Teddy protested, shooting a glare at the thunderbird. "I just didn't think you'd want to come."

"Well, I do."

"Well, okay then!"

"I want to come, too!" Alison declared. "I've never met a god and this will probably be my only opportunity."

Duncan shrugged helplessly and Teddy sighed. "Fine. Anyone else you want to invite on this little junket?" Alison opened her mouth and he held up his finger. "Rhetorical question. No one else. We have no idea what's going to happen and it's bad enough that the four of us are going," Teddy said, the thought of Kelly being hurt by an angry deity making him sweat despite the cold air.

"We're wizards, Teddy. How dangerous could it be?" Duncan asked, fixing him with his cockiest grin. That grin scared Teddy almost as much as the thought of Kelly getting hurt did.

Niyol spread his wings wide in approval. "Yes, Duncan Sutton. It is good that Teddy Lupin will have his friends with him. Numbers are always good when dealing with Coyote."

"See?" Duncan said, "the bird agrees. I think our plan should still work, don't you?"

"If you don't kill me with your baby Apparation skills."

"At least I _have_ baby Apparation skills. Alison, you can Apparate, can't you?" Alison nodded and Duncan rubbed his hands together. "Great. See, I take Teddy and you take Kelly," he said, pointing at the two girls.

"Um, take me where?" Kelly asked.

"Here to the school. Then we get brooms from the equipment room and fly to Mt Diablo. Dress warm."

Alison raised her hand like she was in class. "Um, I haven't been up on a broom in forever."

"Ah, it's just like riding a bike," Duncan said, flapping a hand at her. "You can ride a bike, can't you?"

"All right. Well, we'll need to hammer out the details, but let's put a pin in tomorrow afternoon around one, all right?" Teddy ran an agitated hand through his hair and sighed.

"Teddy Lupin, what is a pin?"

"Never mind. Just … I'll call your name around one, okay? Then you come with us and we'll get your whisker," Teddy said, hoping against hope that they would be successful in this mad endeavor.

"Yes, Teddy Lupin. I will hear you on the wind." Niyol gave them a nod and flapped his massive wings, rising up into the night sky with another loud boom. Teddy watched, enhancing his eyesight until the bird was no longer in sight.

"So … was that the thunderbird?" Kelly asked as they walked slowly back to the dance.

"Yep."

"And he's doing this to get a mate?"

"Yep."

She squeezed his hand and looked up at him as they walked. "It looks like I've been letting you off entirely too easy," she said, the smile on her face making Teddy feel like he'd lost contact with the ground.

"Um …" he croaked, throat spasming as he tried to form words.

Kelly laughed, the sound echoing as they walked down the covered walkway. "Don't worry. I don't have any tasks in mind for you … yet."


	9. Chapter 9

Opening his eyes, Teddy stretched and smiled, patting his lips with his fingers, certain he could still feel them tingling. He glanced at his bedside clock, noting that it was much too early to be up on a Sunday and closed his eyes again, summoning the image of Kelly in his arms at the dance last night.

The colored lights glinted in her blonde hair, mingling with the magically-generated snowflakes as the DJ played a slow song to close out the dance. He relived the moment when she put her head on his shoulder, terrified that she would hear how fast his heart was beating. He'd felt like he was floating on air as they walked back to the car, her hand tight in his.

"Text me when you're parked, all right?" Harry said quietly as they said goodbye to him and Ginny. "I'll come get you."

He dropped Duncan and Alison off at Alison's house where Duncan would Apparate home from, experiencing a mild panic at what he would talk to Kelly about as he drove her carefully back to her own house.

"The dance tonight was really nice," she said quietly, fiddling with her corsage.

"Yeah, it was. The, uh, the snow was a nice touch."

"You've still got some in your hair." She reached over and brushed out some lingering snowflakes. Her fingers felt amazing. "So do you think you'll really find Coyote's den tomorrow?"

Teddy wrenched his thoughts away from her fingers in his hair and he blew out a long breath. "I sure do hope so. I promised I'd do it and he's right—time is getting short." He glanced over to Kelly in the passenger seat. "Are you sure you'll be able to come along?"

"Of course." She grinned at him in the dim light of the car interior, her expression reminiscent of when she was driving hard for the goal, Quaffle securely under her arm. "I might have used that excuse before."

A tingle of interest shot through him and he wondered what other situations she might have used her studying at a friend's story with. _I'll have to ask Duncan if he's heard anything about her seeing anyone else._ "Well, if you're sure."

"I'm sure. Besides, if you're going to do something cool, I want to be there." She gave him a wink and he nearly ran them off the road.

"Well, I don't know that it's going to be all that cool. I'm just hoping I don't totally piss Coyote off and get us all killed or turned into bugs or something," Teddy said once he'd regained control of the big car, hoping that she hadn't noticed his driving hiccup.

"Well, this is me," she said when he pulled up to the front of her house. The porch light was on and Teddy could see lights on inside.

"Looks like your dad is still up," he said, shutting off the engine.

"Yeah," Kelly said, rolling her eyes. She put her hand on the door handle and looked at him. "Well, um, thanks for going with me and driving. It's a really nice car."

"Oh! Yeah, hold on." Teddy quickly unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car, running around the front to open Kelly's door for her. "My lady," he said with a courtly bow, making her giggle. He took her hand and started to walk her to the door. Halfway there, she stopped, glancing at the large picture window.

"I had a really good time tonight," Kelly said, looking shyly up at him, the sea green of her eyes shimmering as Teddy enhanced his vision for the low light.

"I did, too," he said, feeling sweat break out on his forehead despite the cold December night.

"I can't wait to see our pictures."

"Oh, God. I'm going to look terrible," Teddy groaned. Despite his status as a Metamorphmagus, he had yet to take what he considered a truly good posed picture.

"You'll be fine," Kelly said, tapping him on the shoulder. They stood looking at each other and Teddy felt as if his heart would burst right out of his chest as she looked at him expectantly.

 _Oh God, she wants me to kiss her!_ he thought, eyes focusing on her slightly parted lips. He licked his own and slowly started leaning forward, closing his eyes as she overwhelmed his vision. He felt her lips brush his, surprised at the softness and he leaned in more, pressing his lips harder against hers, desperately trying to recall anything he'd ever heard or read about kissing.

Almost before he knew it, the kiss was over and they stood looking at each other in the street light, both breathing a little faster than normal. She squeezed his hands tightly and grinned up at him. "See you tomorrow," she said, letting go of his hands and disappearing quickly into her house.

Teddy had only the faintest memory of parking the car and texting Harry as he replayed the kiss over and over in his mind, startled at Harry's knock on the window. Embarrassed to be caught daydreaming, Teddy exited the car, trying to be subtle as he adjusted his robes.

"Kelly get home all right?" Harry asked with a knowing grin.

"Erm, yeah. Yeah, everything was … fine."

Looking supremely casual in his post-dance jeans and jumper, Harry crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the car. "Did she have a good time tonight?"

"Yeah. She said she did, anyway." Teddy shrugged, wishing he'd just Apparate them home already so he could continue to relive the kiss in the privacy of his own bedroom.

"All right." Harry straightened up and held his hand out to him and Teddy paused for a moment before taking it.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you … d'you remember your first kiss?" he asked in a rush, concentrating on keeping the flush of embarrassment away from his cheeks. Harry grinned and nodded, his own cheeks turning a bit pink. "What was it like?"

"Wet," he said, taking Teddy's hand and Apparating them home.

 _Wet? What in the world does that even mean?_ he thought, staring up at the ceiling. He heard James start to fuss and he got up to see what his problem was. He was standing up in his cot, chubby hands clutching the railing as he whimpered, eyes lighting up at the sight of Teddy.

"Oh, I know what that's about," Teddy said, picking up James and wrinkling his nose at the smell coming from his nappy. He quickly laid out a clean nappy and wipes on the changing table while balancing James on his hip. "You're going to have some competition here before too long," he said conversationally, expertly dodging the stream of urine the baby sent his way when he removed the soiled nappy. "Then you'll have to actually start doing stuff to get attention instead of just looking adorable."

In no time at all he had James clean and happy once more, Vanishing the evidence before wandering out into the lounge, baby on his hip and Stuart winding his body around his ankles. "Looks like we're on our own," he said when he saw that Harry and Ginny's door was still closed.

Setting James in his high chair, Teddy poured some Cheerios out onto the tray and went to grab his phone, checking for any messages from Duncan. A notoriously late sleeper, his phone was devoid of new messages from his best friend and he sighed, flopping down onto the sofa while James threw Cheerios for the cat to chase and bat around on the floor.

Bored, he turned on the telly and idly flipped through the channels. His mind turned to the plans they'd made after the encounter with Niyol on the Quidditch field. Both of the girls had repeated their insistence that they accompany them on their attempt to find Coyote's den and ask Him for a whisker.

"But how are we going to explain all four of us going somewhere together?" Duncan asked, leaning forward, elbows propped up on the metal bistro table.

Alison rolled her eyes and looked at Kelly. "We'll say we're going on a double date to the movies."

"Oh, I'll have to tell my parents that I'm going to your house to study," Kelly said, looking a bit sheepish. "My dad says I can't date until next year."

"But he let you come to the dance," Teddy said, confused.

"Yeah, because there are chaperones here." She shrugged, tracing a pattern on the metal tabletop. "Mom and Dad say the Junior year is the most important grade-wise when applying to college and they don't want me to be … distracted," she said, looking at Teddy with a brilliant smile. He found the thought that he could be someone's distraction very distracting.

"Okay, fine. You're studying at Alison's, then. What time should we say we're going to the movies?" Duncan asked, turning his attention to Teddy.

"Um, noon? You think you can be up by then, Dunk?"

"Yes, I can be up by then," Duncan said mockingly. "Okay, so we'll meet where at noon? The theater?"

"No, let's Floo over to Alison's and then head over to the Kabuki Eight from there since her place is the closest," Teddy said, nodding at a very excited-looking Alison.

"Well, some of us will Floo and some of us will Apparate like adults," Duncan said, causing Teddy to sigh in exasperation.

"Some of us will Apparate like adults," he said mockingly, sticking his tongue out at his best friend. "Is it all right if we meet at your house?" he asked Alison. He'd never met her parents and he wasn't sure how they would react to having all of them show up at the same time.

"It'll be fine. My brother always had people popping in and out before he left for college," she said with an airy wave of her hand. "I can't wait to actually meet the for real deal Coyote."

"Are you going to be okay flying?" Duncan asked, setting his hand on top of hers.

"I'll be fine," she said, ducking her head down and looking up at Duncan through her lashes, "as long as you're there." Teddy saw the unmistakable rush of blood to Duncan's face and wondered just when the pair had gotten so close. _Looks like he doesn't tell me everything,_ he thought as Duncan leaned in close and said something to Alison that made her giggle.

"We're going back inside," Duncan said as he stood up. "You guys coming?"

Teddy opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Kelly. "We'll be in in a minute," she said and Teddy itched to slap the smirk off his friend's face.

As they went in, he realized that he and Kelly were the only ones left outside and the trembling in his stomach started up again. "Can I get you anything? Any punch? I think they had some snacks inside …" he said, trailing off as she shook her head and smiled at him.

"I've been wanting to ask you something all night, but I didn't want to embarrass you," she said before pausing for a moment. Teddy focused on keeping his breathing steady and even, mind racing with what she could ask him that she thought might be embarrassing. _Can't be any worse than a bird asking me if I'm a virgin._

"Um, ask away? I guess?" he said, wishing he had something in his hands.

"Are you, um, doing anything with your appearance right now?" she asked, surprising Teddy with how shy she sounded.

"Oh, um, no? I mean, I have a spot that I'm not letting show, but right now it's pretty much what you see is what you get." He ran his fingers through his hair, resisting the urge to lengthen it or change the color from his natural sandy brown. "Is that all right?"

Her smile widened, giving Teddy a very warm feeling as his heart sped up. "It's more than all right." She held her hand out to him and he stood, helping her out of her seat. "Come on, let's go back to the dance."

The sound of Harry and Ginny's door opening interrupted his reverie and he turned his head, smiling as Ginny tiptoed out, swathed in her favorite flannel robe. "Good morning," she said with a huge yawn as she sat down on the sofa next to him. "Thanks for getting James up."

"He was already up. You owe me big time."

Ginny patted his cheek, rubbing her fingertips against the slight stubble. "Looks like someone needs a bit of a shave."

Teddy concentrated for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "How about now?"

"God, if only I could do that for my legs." She stretched her arms high over her head and blew out a long breath. "Did you have fun at the dance last night?"

"Yeah, it was all right," Teddy said noncommittally.

"And you got everyone home safely?"

"Yes."

"And did anything else … interesting happen?"

Teddy felt the heat rise to his face, his lips tingling briefly at the memory of kissing Kelly. "Um, maybe?"

Ginny sighed happily, brown eyes bright. "I remember my first kiss," she said, leaning her head back against the sofa. "Michael Corner."

"Yeah? I thought Harry was your first kiss," Teddy said, interest sparked at the mention of this other boy.

"Oh, no. Nor was I his first kiss."

"I asked him about it last night and all he said was that it was wet."

Ginny chuckled and Teddy hoped she'd explain why Harry had said that, but he was disappointed as she looked at James in his high chair, banging his hands on the tray that was now empty of Cheerios. "Did he actually eat any?"

"Doesn't look like it," Teddy said, glancing at the floor. A wide circle of Cheerios spread out from James and the high chair. Stuart sat on the edge of the mess, diligently licking his paw and washing his ears.

"Well, he's probably hungry then. If you'll excuse me." She got up from the sofa and picked up her son, rubbing her nose against his as the baby chortled in her arms.

"Ginny," Teddy said as she started toward the nursery. "Me and Duncan were going to take the girls out to a movie around noon. Is that all right?"

"Oh, a double date. Should be fine. You need any money?"

"No, I have some cash," Teddy said, letting out a quiet breath of relief.

"All right. Don't stay out too late. Harry's doing a lasagna tonight." Ginny disappeared into the nursery with James and shut the door. Teddy fell over sideways on the sofa and picked up his phone, texting Duncan. _First hurdle cleared. See you at noon._

* * *

"We have a complication," Duncan said as he wiped soot and Floo powder off of his jacket.

"What? Why didn't you Apparate?" Teddy asked, blasting his friend with a stream of air from his wand.

"You'll see." Duncan crossed his arms across his chest and turned around, scowling at the Williams's huge fireplace. A moment later, the flames turned green and Duncan's little sister, Katie, came tumbling out.

"You didn't," Teddy breathed quietly as Katie stood up and started industriously sweeping herself clean with a little whisk brush she pulled out of her cat-shaped purse.

"Mom and Dad insisted."

"What did you tell them we were going to see?"

"Um, that new Night at the Museum?" Duncan said with a wince.

"Are you serious? That's what you came up with?" Teddy groaned, thinking furiously.

"I drew a blank, man! That was the first one I could think of!"

"Hi Teddy," Katie said with a shy smile at him. Ever since their lunch together last week she'd been a constant presence at school. Teddy was certain she'd modified her usual route during passing periods just so she could wave at him in the halls.

"Hey, Katie," Teddy said, trying not to sound too irritated with her.

She pushed her glasses back up her nose after performing a thorough cleaning on them. "Thank you for asking me to go to the movie with you. I'm looking forward to it."

"Mm, yeah." He turned to Duncan who still looked cross at the presence of his little sister. "We'll go as soon as the girls come down, all right?"

Duncan glanced over at his sister who had wandered over to examine the group of family photos on a side table. "What are we going to do about …" he asked, cocking his head at Katie.

Teddy sighed and shook his head. "I'll figure something out."

A few minutes later they'd said goodbye to Alison's parents and headed out the door, Katie chattering to Teddy about her latest exploits in the Wizard's chess club. Alison and Kelly had been surprised to see Katie there and they'd shot questioning glances at Teddy, who had only shrugged.

As they walked, Teddy wanted to hold Kelly's hand, but Katie insisted on walking between the two of them, causing Kelly to smile indulgently at her obvious crush. When they arrived in front of the theater, Teddy turned to Katie. "All right. You are going to go to the movie and we are going to do something else."

"What? You're not coming to the movie? What are you going to do?" she asked, brows drawing down in consternation.

"That's none of your business, all right?" Duncan said, holding out a twenty-dollar bill to her. "Just buy your ticket and watch your movie. Don't leave the theater."

"Mom and Dad said you had to take me with you, that means I'm going wherever you're going," she said, making no move to take the money.

"No, Mom and Dad said I had to take you to the movies, which I've done." Duncan waved the bill at her, trying to push it into her hand.

"Why do they get to go?" she asked, cocking her head at Alison and Kelly.

"Um, because we made the plans with them at the dance last night," Teddy said, hoping to avoid a scene out in public.

"So, if I had been at the dance, then I'd get to go, too?"

"No way! It's much too dangerous," Duncan said and Teddy held back the desire to stomp on his foot.

"Dangerous? What are you doing?" Katie asked, giving the four of them an appraising look.

"Nothing! We're just going to take a short trip to Mt Diablo and check out something, jeez!" Teddy groaned quietly and glared at his best friend. "Come on, we'll be back before you know it!"

She looked at the money and then back at her brother, her narrowed eyes looking decidedly less owlish behind her thick glasses. "This isn't going to be enough for a ticket _and_ popcorn _and_ candy _and_ a drink."

"I told you," Duncan said, looking at Teddy. "We're going to have to pay her off." He dug in his pocket and pulled out another twenty. "Mercenary," Duncan growled as he watched her count the money.

"You've bought my silence. I won't tell Mom and Dad that you dumped me at the theater while the four of you went off to make out or whatever it is you're going to do," she said with an air of superiority as she folded the cash and put it away carefully in her cat-shaped purse.

"Sorry about the confusion," Teddy said, feeling like he had to apologize to her. "We'll go see something when I get back from Christmas break, okay?"

Her eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across her face. "Like on a date?"

"Erm, no? Just as friends," Teddy said, glancing over at Kelly. She looked amused, but he wasn't completely sure what her raised eyebrows meant.

"It's a date then!" She gave them a jaunty wave and went up to the ticket counter. They all watched until she went inside the theater lobby where they saw her make a beeline for the concessions.

"I hope she keeps her mouth shut," Teddy said as they headed off to a secluded spot to Apparate from.

"She will. Money usually has that effect on her," Duncan said confidently.

* * *

"How've you been?" Harry said as he slid into the booth across from Archimedes. As usual, a fresh pint of Guinness was waiting for him and he took a long drink, licking the foam from his upper lip.

"I've been well. Thankfully the Christmas season tends to settle things down a bit," Archimedes said, singling the barmaid. "Calamari?"

"Yeah." Harry smiled as Archimedes flirted with the barmaid as he ordered their favorite appetizer, reflecting that he hadn't really changed at all since he first met him nearly ten years ago. Same iron-gray hair in a neat ponytail and long white beard, both of which served to make people overlook the fit body underneath. "Any holiday travels?"

"No, we're making the kids come to us this year. Sarah's been decorating up a storm."

"Yes, I saw when I dropped off James last night." Harry had felt like he'd materialized into a Christmas wonderland at the sight of the garland, wreaths and festive bows tastefully arranged all over the house. James had been delighted at the twinkling lights on the stunning Christmas tree in the main window of the lounge. "Thanks for watching James while we chaperoned the dance."

"Oh, it's no trouble. Having him around keeps me young!" Archimedes leaned forward and grinned at Harry. "And when he starts causing trouble, it's time for him to go home!" Laughing at his own joke, he finished his cider and set the glass on the edge of the table. "What about you? Going back to England for the break?"

"Yeah. It'll be good to see everyone. It's James's first Christmas, so Molly is going all out," Harry said, thinking back to Molly's latest letter, detailing the photography session she'd set up for a family portrait. They were all supposed to wear coordinating outfits or jumpers or something; Harry was letting Ginny handle that bit. He just wanted to be told where to stand and when to smile. "I'll have a few other things to sort out while I'm there, too."

"Oh?" The barmaid brought their calamari along with a fresh cider for Archimedes and Harry dug in, dipping the crispy fried squid in the accompanying sauce before answering.

"Yeah, Teddy turns seventeen in April and that's the age of majority in Wizarding England. I need to see my solicitors and make sure everything's in place for when that happens."

"Ah, that's right. What needs to be in place?"

"His parents left a bit of money, I set up a fund for him, and his grandmother set something up. I want to get it all consolidated into one so he doesn't have to deal with as much paperwork." Harry took another deep drink of the Guinness, thinking of the tasks in front of him. "There's a piece of property from his Lupin grandparents. It's a bit of a mess because of Remus being a werewolf, so it's been in a trust since they died. I need to get that sorted out." He looked at Archimedes and sighed. "I've just been putting it off, if I'm honest."

"It's hard when they grow up. I remember when our oldest left home to go to college. It seemed like Sarah was constantly on the Floo, checking up on her." He shook his head and raised his glass. "To children growing up and moving on." They clinked glasses and drank deeply, Harry finishing his Guinness.

"Speaking of, will I see Teddy's application soon? Mark brought me Duncan's the other day," Archimedes said, raising an eyebrow at Harry.

"Yeah, I expect it'll show up soon," Harry said, feeling a bit of irritation at Archimedes's satisfied grin.

"That's good news. Don't forget the waiver."

"What? Waiver? For what?" Harry asked as the barmaid placed a full Guinness in front of him.

"You need to be eighteen to enter the Auror academy unless you have a parental waiver. Didn't Teddy tell you?"

"No, this is the first I'm hearing about this."

"Yes. As long as he'll turn eighteen within his first year of training, a waiver from his legal guardian is all he needs."

"Brilliant," Harry muttered, dipping another piece of calamari into the sauce. "So not only do I have to let him go, I have to sign him away."

"We're not all monsters, Harry," Archimedes said gently.

"No, you just chase them."

"As you once did."

"To my detriment." Harry sat back against the booth, looking around at the familiar setting of the Church Key pub, mentally going over the entrances and exits, assessing the patrons for any threats. The habit was automatic and he just accepted that it would be for the rest of his life. "I just … I sacrificed so much of myself to keep them all safe and now he wants to run headlong into danger, you know?"

"Yes, I do. They're going to make their own decisions, Harry. Ones that have nothing to do with what you want for them. You raise them and teach them the best that you can and then you've got to push them out of the nest and see what they do."

"Mm. And I've got a least two more in front of me."

"Two more?"

"Yeah. Gin's pregnant," Harry said, goosebumps coming up on his arms. "Due in June."

"Well, that is good news!" Archimedes motioned the barmaid over. "Two shots of that Pappy's I know Damon keeps under the bar."

Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Oh, you don't need to—"

"Nonsense! This is an excellent excuse to enjoy a couple of shots in the afternoon!" The barmaid returned, setting the brimming shot glasses in front of them.

Harry picked his up and tapped it against Archimedes's. "Sláinte," he said, downing it in one gulp, feeling the burn all the way down his throat. "So that's what a hundred dollars tastes like," he said as he turned his empty shot glass upside down on the table.

Archimedes just grinned at him, turning his own glass over. "Come on, Harry. Let an old man be generous! Another?"

"No, thank you," Harry said, shaking his head. Personally, he thought Pappy Van Winkel was overrated and would have preferred Lagavulin. They chatted quietly, Archimedes filling him in on some of the more interesting goings-ons.

"It looks like Jacob and Evelyn are finally going to make it official," Archimedes said and Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah? It's about time, isn't it? Good for them." Harry leaned forward conspiratorially. "D'you know I used to think he was gay?"

Archimedes gave a short laugh. "Jacob has been confounding people's gaydar as long as I've known him. I remember one time at one of his parties—"

Harry held up his finger as his phone rang, frowning at the unfamiliar number on the display. "Hold on," he said as he answered the call.

"Potter!"

Harry pulled the phone away from his ear, the angry voice bringing back memories of the endless hours spent in Snape's dungeon. "Yes? Who is this?" he said mildly, hoping to calm down the person on the other end.

"Adam Taylor. What has that boy of yours done with my daughter?"

"Erm …" Harry said, stalling for time, his mind whirling. _Oh God, he didn't have permission. Shit,_ he thought, catching Archimedes's concerned look. "They went to the movies with Duncan and Alison, yeah?"

"The movies. No, Kelly is supposed to be studying at Alison's," Mr Taylor spat, his voice a deadly calm that Harry remembered all too clearly from his Auror days. "But she's not there. Do you know how I know, Mr Potter?" Adam asked, continuing on without giving Harry a chance to answer. "I called the Williams's to let Kelly know that her mother and I would be picking her up a little bit later than originally agreed on. And do you know what Alison's mother told me?"

"No, sir," Harry said when he realized he was being allowed to speak.

"She told me that Kelly and Alison had gone out to the movies with that boy Duncan and your boy. On a double date. A _date_ , Mr Potter." Mr Taylor paused again, sounding like he was struggling to control his temper. "I tried calling Kelly on her own phone and didn't get an answer."

"Well, probably because they're in the theater," Harry said reasonably, wincing at Mr Taylor's audible growl.

"I told Kelly that she could go to the Winter Formal dance this year, but she is _not_ allowed to date."

"I see. Well, Mr Taylor, I think it's a bit unfair to pin your daughter's duplicity on my godson, don't you?" Harry deliberately kept his voice calm and friendly, calling upon long-ago interrogation training.

"Mr Potter, I assure you my daughter doesn't lie."

"Mr Taylor, your daughter is a teenager who wants to have an afternoon out with some friends. Did you never deceive your parents for a bit of fun when you were her age?"

"Potter, I don't know what kind of lies you told your parents—" Mr Taylor began, seeming to remember who he was speaking to at the last second.

Harry didn't say anything, letting the silence spin out for several seconds. "Mr Taylor, thank you for contacting me and bringing the matter to my attention. I'll make sure Kelly gets home as soon as possible."

"See that you do," Adam Taylor said curtly, immediately disconnecting the call.

Harry let out a long breath, staring down at the device in his hand. "Someone didn't sound too happy. What was that all about?" Archimedes asked, bushy gray brows drawn down in a frown.

"It seems that the girl Teddy has taken to the movies on a double date with Duncan isn't allowed to date," Harry said as he scrolled through his contact list in his phone for Teddy's number. He listened as the call rang and then went to voice mail, Teddy's chipper greeting encouraging him to leave his digits.

"Teddy, it's me. I just got a call from Kelly's very agitated father. Call me back as soon as you get this," he said trying to sound calm and in control. He shoved his phone into his back pocket. "I'm sorry, Archimedes, but I've got to go. I've got to handle this ASAP."

Archimedes waved his hand. "Understood. You're giving me flashbacks to my own children's teenage years," he said with an exaggerated shiver.

"Well, we've been lucky with Teddy; he's never given us any trouble before."

"That you know of."

Harry set his lips in a thin line and glared at the older man. "Thanks for that." He slid out of the booth and took his phone out of his pocket along with a twenty-dollar bill. "Thanks for the shot."

"My pleasure." Archimedes put his hand on his arm before Harry could walk away. "Listen, even if he _did_ know the girl wasn't supposed to be dating, don't be too hard on him, okay?"

Harry sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just need to get to him before Mr Taylor does. See you." As he left the bar, he dialed up Ginny, hoping she'd still be home.

"Harry," she said when she picked up, the sound of James banging on something in the background, "are you still out with Archimedes?"

"Kelly's dad called."

"Is everything all right?" she asked, sounding alarmed.

"Apparently Kelly isn't allowed to date."

"Oh. Oh dear. But it's just the movies with friends," she said.

"I guess it doesn't matter. The thing is, she told her dad that she was going to Alison's to study."

"She lied? To her huge, imposing fireman dad?" Harry could almost see Ginny shaking her head in amazement. "How'd he get your number?"

"School directory." Harry walked down the sidewalk, glancing up at the chilly, gray day. _There goes that lazy Sunday._ "D'you remember which theater they were going to?"

"Kabuki Eight, I think."

"All right. I'm going to go down there and then take Kelly home and apologize to Mr Taylor." Harry blew out an irritated breath. He'd met Mr Taylor only a few times and while he'd seemed reasonable, he didn't look forward to the impending encounter.

"Harry, don't be too hard on him, okay? He probably didn't know," Ginny said sympathetically.

"I hope you're right because if he did and he still went out with her …"

"They're probably at the movies or hanging around Japantown. Don't make too much of a stir, all right?"

Harry huffed and shook his head. "I'll do my best, love, but he's really put his foot in it now."

A few moments later, he Apparated silently into the men's room at the Kabuki Eight theater, glad that it was empty and he wouldn't have to Obliviate anyone. Out in the lobby, he looked at what was playing, deciding that there were three possibilities. In the first theater, he cast a night-vision spell, glad that the theater wasn't full.

 _Not in this one. Guess Hobbits aren't to their taste,_ he thought, moving on to the next one, cursing quietly as the brighter light in the lobby assaulted his eyes. The second theater was also a bust and he felt a rising sense of anxiety as he went into the last one. _What is she doing here?_ he thought as he spotted Katie Sutton sitting in the exact middle of the theater, enormous tub of popcorn in her lap. He looked for the others, frowning when they were nowhere to be found.

The seats on either side of her were empty and Harry made his way down the aisle, sitting down next to the girl. "Katie," he whispered, wincing at her startled jump.

"Mr Potter?" she asked, eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm wondering the same about you. Come with me to the lobby, please." A few minutes later, the girl stood in front of him, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Now, can you tell me where Teddy, Duncan and the girls are? Are they in a different theater?"

Katie's eyes shifted to the left and right as if she were trying to see if anyone was watching her and she shrugged. "Does that mean they are in a different theater?" She shook her head, not looking directly at him. "Do you know where they are?" A one-shouldered shrug was her response and Harry sighed.

"Katie, you're not in trouble, all right? I need you to tell me where they've gone." He deliberately uncrossed his arms and made an effort to look less threatening, hoping to put her at ease with a more relaxed stance.

"Um, they said something about Mt Diablo," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Mt Diablo? Are you sure?" Harry asked, the question coming out sharper than he intended and he winced as she flinched away from him.

"Yes." She finally looked up at him and he saw resentment on her face. "They said I couldn't go because they'd made the plans last night at the dance and that it was going to be too dangerous."

 _Oh God, what have you gotten up to?_ he thought as he felt a jolt of fear. "All right. Come with me." He held out his hand and she held up hers, one holding a giant soda and the other still clutching her popcorn. He took the soda from her and held it as she took his hand and walked with him out of the theater.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"I'm going to take you to my house where you will be safe while I track down the others, all right?"

She seemed to absorb this information and her face brightened. "Can I hang out in Teddy's room?"

A bare moment later, they were standing outside of the door to the condo, Katie gasping in delight. "We didn't make any sound just like when my dad does it! How do you know how to Apparate without sound?" She fixed him with an accusing look and Harry smiled at her.

"Don't let it get around, but I used to be an Auror like your dad," he said, unlocking the door and stepping across the threshold. He turned back to Katie and bowed. "Katie Sutton, please come into my home," he said, inviting her past the Blood Seal.

"Harry did you—" Ginny said, coming out of the nursery and stopping at the sight of the girl looking around the apartment in amazement. "Hello, Katie! How have you been?"

"Hello, Mrs Potter! I've been quite well. You have a very nice house," she said, sounding like a girl that had had manners drilled into her since she could talk.

"Why thank you! Here, let me take your popcorn and your drink. Would you like me to put it in the refrigerator for you?" She came forward and took the girl in hand, leading her to the breakfast bar in the kitchen, shooting Harry a look that clearly said, _This is great, but where are the rest of them?_

Harry went into Teddy's room and picked up his hair brush, pulling out several long, sandy-brown hairs and tying them into a knot. _I am going to find you, make sure you're all right and then I'm going to bloody kill you,_ he thought as he took a scarf off of the coatrack by the door, winding it securely around his neck, listening to Ginny and Katie in the kitchen. Ginny was exclaiming over her cat-shaped purse, telling her how cunning it was.

"Gin, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry said, leaving Katie happily petting Stuart in her lap, his thunderous purr going full throttle.

"Do you know where they are?" Ginny whispered, tucking the ends of his scarf into his dragonhide jacket.

"Katie said they went to Mt Diablo."

"What? Mt Diablo? What for? How would they even get there?"

"Duncan and Alison both have their Apparating licenses."

"But Side-Along when they can barely do for themselves is so risky! Hold on a moment." Ginny disappeared into their bedroom, coming back a few moments later, pushing several vials into his hands. "Here. Dittany and Blood-Replenishing, just in case." She held on to Harry's hands, her grip very strong. "Please find them safe."

"I will, love. I have my phone." He glanced over at the kitchen, making sure that Katie was still fully engaged with the cat. "Let me know if Mr Taylor shows up here, all right? You don't have to let him in."

"Don't worry about us over here. Just bring Teddy back."


	10. Chapter 10

Well familiar with the squeezing airlessness of Apparation, Teddy was nonetheless glad when it was over, cautiously opening his eyes to the surroundings of the usual Apparation point nearest the school. He quickly patted himself down to make sure he hadn't suffered any splinching at the hands of his best friend.

"I passed my test on the first try you know," Duncan said, arms crossed.

"I know. I'm just making sure, all right?" Relieved that he seemed to be in one piece and wasn't missing an ear or an eyebrow, Teddy relaxed. "You're awfully noisy, though."

Duncan snorted. "I bet I go silent faster than you once they teach us."

"Hah! I bet it takes you weeks."

"Oh yeah? I'll—" Duncan started, interrupted by the _crack_ of the arrival of the girls. Kelly and Alison both stood frozen in place and Teddy felt a jolt of alarm that one or both of them had been injured and he wished he'd thought to pilfer some of the Dittany he knew Ginny kept in the house.

"Oh my God, that was so hard!" Alison exclaimed, letting go of Kelly and stepping back from her. She patted herself down in much the same way Teddy had, exclaiming at her hair. "Aw, I splinched off some of my hair on one side!"

Kelly squinted her eyes at her and nodded. "Just a bit, though. We'll even it out and no one will know."

"You all right?" Teddy asked, taking Kelly's hand, looking her over closely.

"Yes, you?"

"All in one piece."

"For now," Duncan said helpfully. "Who knows what condition you'll be in when Coyote gets done with you!"

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Teddy said, flipping his best friend the bird and making the girls giggle. "Come on, let's get going."

They headed off toward the school grounds, hoping that they wouldn't run into anyone else who might have gotten an idea to have a fly or something on a Sunday afternoon. As they walked, Teddy noticed that Duncan was holding Alison's hand and he shared a smile with Kelly. "So when are you going to call … Niyol, is it?" she asked as they entered the school grounds.

"Let's get the brooms first and then we'll go to the field and I'll call him there. Sound good?" Duncan returned Teddy's nod and they turned in the direction of the equipment room. A loud boom shook the roof of the covered walkway and Niyol himself sailed under it a moment later, coming to a neat landing right in front of Teddy.

"Teddy Lupin! I have been waiting for your arrival," he said, folding his enormous wings tight against his body. "I am ready to help you find Coyote's den."

"Fantastic," Teddy grunted, a hot rush of anticipation in his gut. "We're going to fly with you."

The thunderbird cocked his head at him, a very human-like expression of puzzlement on his face. "But you do not have any wings or feathers."

"No, we're going to follow you on brooms. Come on." Teddy led the way to the equipment room and they gathered in front of it. Duncan cast a Detect Magic and the door glowed blue. "What do you think?"

Duncan stood with his hand on his chin, tracing the web of blue lines with his eyes. "Looks a lot like the one Harry has on your door. We've beaten that tons of times." He held out his wand, following one line to a junction. "There."

"Wait a minute," Kelly said, stepping forward. "I think that's a decoy." She narrowed her eyes and Teddy could see her tracing and rejecting lines and junction points for the alarm spell. "This one," she said confidently, pointing with her wand to a gently pulsing blue nexus.

"By all means," Duncan said, gesturing to the shed as he went to stand next to Alison.

Kelly took a deep breath and raised her wand, focusing intently on the spot she'd identified as the nexus point for the alarm spell. Teddy heard her whisper, _"Finite Incantatem,"_ as she moved her wand precisely, the blue glow winking out of existence.

"Well done!" Teddy clapped along with Alison and Duncan as she bowed and unlocked the shed, tossing a broom to each one of them. Both Alison and Kelly tucked their long hair underneath the scarves wrapped around their necks and they all zipped up their jackets, Teddy wishing he'd thought to bring gloves.

Niyol watched the proceedings with a keen eye as he preened his bronze-feathered breast, spreading his wings when they all straddled the brooms. Teddy took a deep breath and looked at his friends. "You guys don't have to come. I have no idea what's going to happen and you guys don't need to get hurt on my account." He looked up at the sky, the gray clouds hanging low. "It might get a little wet."

"Pssh, whatever, Lupin," Duncan said with a wave of his hand. "There's no fucking way I'm going to let you do all of the cool stuff and leave me behind. If you're in, then I'm in."

Kelly and Alison nodded. "I've never met anything like an actual god, so there's no way I'd miss this opportunity," Kelly said, twisting her hands around the broom handle, impatient to be up in the air. Teddy noticed she was prepared with gloves.

Alison glanced over at Duncan and smiled. "I'm just here for the adventure."

"And you shall have it," Duncan said grandly, bowing over her hand.

Teddy shook his head. "You are all batshit crazy. Mount up!" he cried, kicking off up into the overcast sky, Niyol following with a sharp _crack_. Duncan helped Alison with her wobbly start and soon the four of them were hovering in a circle, the thunderbird flying in circles above them. "Disillusionment?"

"Aye, captain." Duncan saluted and tapped himself on the head, virtually disappearing from view. Teddy followed suit, shivering at the sensation of a chilly goop sliding down from the top of his head.

"Teddy Lupin, are you still here?" Niyol called, a tinge of panic in his voice.

"Yes, we're just disguised so Muggles don't see us flying around. We'll follow you, just don't fly too fast." He saw the blurred outline of Kelly come up next to him and he reached out to her, touching her shoulder. "Alison, all right?" he called.

"Yeah! Let's go!" she shouted, sounding completely excited.

"Okay, Niyol, we're ready. Take us to Castle Rock!"

* * *

 _What the fuck could those kids possibly be doing out at goddamn Mt Diablo? Having a picnic?_ Harry thought as he stood in the garage potions lab, preparing to Apparate. He wasn't overly familiar with the place having only visited a couple of times and he fixed the place in his mind, visualizing the visitor's center as he remembered it. He patted his pockets, making sure the vials Ginny had given him were secure in the inner pocket of his dragonhide jacket.

 _I'll try him one more time_. Harry dialed Teddy's number and once again listened to the message, his godson's cheery voice causing him to frown instead of smile as it usually did. _Teddy, coming to meet you,_ he texted before Apparating out of the potions lab, reappearing a moment later behind the Mt Diablo visitor's center.

It was very cold, the clouds threatening rain and Harry crouched down, wand out as he checked his surroundings. _Deserted. Excellent,_ he thought as he made a quick circuit of the building. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but no one around the immediate area. He noticed the absence of his car. _Well, they didn't drive here at any rate._ Moving back behind the building, he unwound the strands of Teddy's hair from around his index finger and laid them on his flattened palm.

Taking one more quick look around, he cast the tracking spell and the strands went up in a flash, Harry wrinkling his nose against the smell of burnt hair. A brilliant ribbon of green light sprang up, arching over the low bungalow and away up the mountain. Following it, he walked quickly around to the front of the building, squinting at where the light appeared to disappear into a wooded area.

There was a large map of the park nearby and Harry studied it, tracing the path of Teddy's light from the visitor's center to _Castle Rock? What … that feather!_ Harry flashed back to the day Teddy and Duncan had waltzed in late to his class and he'd had them demonstrate the Poltergeist Containment spell against Oliver and he groaned out loud. "I knew they were up to something! Shit."

Pushing down the instinct to immediately Apparate to that spot and grab Teddy by the ear, Harry took several deep breaths. _They're teenagers, they get up to things. It's probably just post-midterms high spirits. They just came up here for a lark or to … make out or something. Why couldn't they have just snogged in the movie theater like every other teenager?_

Focusing on the where Teddy's green light seemed to terminate, Harry Apparated, reappearing in a small copse of trees. The tracking spell had expired, but he didn't need it anymore because in a small clearing about thirty feet away were Teddy, Duncan, Kelly and Alison, each holding a broom. Harry felt a wave of relief at the sight of all four of them whole and unhurt. _That explains one thing. Thank God they didn't try to Apparate out here._

He was about to stride forward when he caught sight of a huge bird alighting onto a tree branch, bending it nearly to the ground. _Hehewuti? No, a different one,_ he thought, immediately recognizing the creature as a thunderbird. Feeling a prickling on his scalp, he watched as Teddy and his friends huddled together, Alison casting a Warming Charm.

Casting a minor Amplification Charm, Harry listened to their chatter. _They're looking for something … some place?_ he thought, wracking his brain for who they could possibly be looking for out here and why they'd felt the need to do so with subterfuge.

* * *

The frigid air rushing past made Teddy's blood sing as he leaned low over the broom handle, keeping Niyol in sight. He had to stop himself from performing a loop-the-loop when Mt Diablo came into sight, the summit covered by gray clouds. His phone in his pocket vibrated and he hoped that it wasn't Harry trying to call him. _He'll think we're in the movie and just leave a message._

He looked over to his right, wishing that they weren't Disillusioned and he could fully see Kelly flying next to him instead of a blurry outline. He knew Duncan was to his left and that Alison was behind them. _I hope she's doing all right,_ he thought, not sure how experienced of a flyer she was.

Up ahead, he saw Niyol angle his body down and followed suit. "Descending!" he shouted, hoping the others heard him over the sound of the wind. It looked like they were heading to a wooded area on a section of the mountain. Enhancing his sight, Teddy didn't see any other people around. _Not too many people interested in hiking on a day like this. Good. We'll need to fly out as well._

Niyol flew a wide circle over the copse of trees and Teddy saw a clearing in the middle of it. He dispelled the Disillusionment, glad for the warmth that suffused him and gestured down to the clearing. One by one, Duncan, Kelly and finally Alison reappeared and they followed him down into the clearing, lightly touching down on solid ground once more.

"I'm freezing," Alison said, quickly casting a Warming Charm around them as they huddled close together.

"Everyone okay?" Teddy asked, rubbing his hands briskly together to get the feeling back into them. His phone had buzzed a couple more times on the way and he'd ignored it. _Get a clue, Harry. In a movie!_

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was the farthest I've ever flown!" Kelly said, looking around the clearing with keen interest. An almost perfect circle, short grass covered the ground and Teddy stood very still, enhancing his hearing.

"What're you—" Duncan started, Teddy cutting him off with a sharp shake of his head.

"I _was_ listening before you opened your giant gob," Teddy hissed, returning his hearing to normal.

"You were just standing there," Kelly said with a frown. "I didn't hear anything."

"Well, I can use my ability to enhance my hearing by making the bones and stuff in there more sensitive," Teddy explained, self-consciousness sweeping over him."

"You can do that?" she said, stark amazement in her voice. "What about your vision?"

"Yeah, I can do that, too. S'why they won't let me be a Seeker. They say I have an unfair advantage and I could pick the Snitch out a mile away and no one could tell I was doing it." Teddy grinned at her, pride stealing over him at her awed expression. "Coach figures to keep me too busy at Chaser to go looking for the Snitch."

"Ugh, yes, you're wonderful, we all know," Duncan said as he rolled his eyes. "Can we pay attention to something besides you, now? There's a den we have to find."

Teddy tore his eyes away from Kelly and looked around the clearing. "Are we close to the den entrance?" he asked Niyol.

"I do not know, Teddy Lupin. I have flown over Tuyshtak many times but I have never found the entrance to Coyote's den," he said mournfully. "This place is not too far from where the falcons nest, so I have brought you here."

Teddy shrugged and looked at his friends. "Well, let's look around here and see if we see anything, I guess." They nodded and spread out around the clearing, examining the trees and ground minutely. He put the fretting thunderbird out of his mind, focusing on his surroundings as he sharpened his sight and sense of smell in addition to his hearing. _Anything could be a clue, anything …_ he thought, sharp eyes picking out a bird hidden in a high branch. _Anything at all … do I smell apples?_ He turned his head and saw Kelly about ten feet away, digging in the dirt with a stick.

"Did you find something?" he asked, coming closer, dialing back his sense of smell as her apple-scented shampoo started to clog his nose.

"I thought so, but I think it's just the root of this tree. What about you?"

"I saw a bird in that tree over there, but it was just a little finch."

"I guess we'll have to keep looking. I mean, this place has to mean something, doesn't it?" She stood up and spread her arms. "It's just about a perfect circle."

Teddy turned around, seeing that Duncan and Alison had their heads together, Alison pointing to something on the ground. "Teddy, come here," she said, turning to look at him.

"You find something?" He dropped down on his haunches next to Duncan, the ground in front of them was cast in shadow when Niyol landed on the branch above them. "You're in the light," he said, waving his hand at the thunderbird irritably.

Duncan sighed and lit the tip of his wand, angling it down to the ground. "Look. What do you think? Kind of out of place, huh?"

Teddy reached out and nudged a finger against the lump of metal. It was very cold to the touch and he picked it up, finding it surprisingly heavy for the size. "Gold?"

"Fool's gold," Alison said. "It's all over the place up here, but sort of out of place here."

Teddy stood and handed the lump to Kelly. "What do you think?"

She turned it over in her hands, looking at it from several different angles. "I guess it could be a clue. There aren't any other rocks in this little clearing." She handed it back to him and he noticed that it was warm from her handling.

He held the chunk of metal up to Niyol. "What do you reckon?"

The thunderbird spread his wings and shuffled toward him on the tree branch, giving the iron pyrite a couple of pecks with his beak and Teddy was almost sure he saw sparks. "I do not know, Teddy Lupin. I have seen this rock before, but not here. I am not certain it has anything to do with Coyote, but I am also not certain it does not."

"Well, let's see. We have a drawing of a castle and a peregrine feather …" Teddy said slowly. "Niyol already knew the entrance was somewhere around here. And we have this. A castle, a feather and a lump of fake gold. Brilliant." He looked up at the sky, frowning at the clouds darkening the sky. "I guess we head back up?"

"And look for what?" Duncan asked, handing a broom to Alison.

"Um, well, I guess we could look for something that looks like a castle made out of gold covered in birds?" Teddy said, straddling his broom.

"Oh yeah. I see shit like that all the time," Duncan said, voice dripping sarcasm as he kicked off into the sky.

* * *

Harry watched as the foursome took off, wheels turning in his head. _Coyote? What does a thunderbird want with Coyote? Is this some sort of revenge plot Niyol's roped Teddy into? Did Hehewuti put him up to this?_ Noting the direction the kids flew in, Harry Disillusioned himself and Apparated in the same general direction, hoping he'd get some answers soon.

* * *

Teddy ducked down close to his broom handle as something buzzed past his head. "What was that?" he shouted, trying to get a look at whatever it was.

"A falcon, Teddy Lupin. They are very territorial and we are close to their nesting grounds," Niyol said, his voice carrying over the rush of the wind.

"Well, I'm not interested in getting knocked out of the sky by one of those!" He waved his finger in a circle above his head and headed downward, aiming for an outcropping of rock. Duncan and Kelly landed neatly, Duncan shooting out a hand to keep Alison from falling over backwards as she pulled up too hard on landing and overbalanced with a loud whoop.

Teddy looked up at the sky, watching as Niyol menaced several of the peregrine falcons flying overhead, diving and swooping until they finally scattered. He landed in the center of the rock they were standing on, looking very proud of himself. "They will leave you alone, Teddy Lupin. I have warned them what will happen if they try to harm you or your friends."

"Thanks. That'll come in handy, I'm sure." Teddy looked around and sighed, his heart sinking. "I guess we'll look around here? Give a shout if you see anything."

"What are we looking for?" Alison asked, holding tightly to her broom.

"Um, well ideally we're looking for a coyote, but I guess anything unusual or something that looks like it's out of place?"

"All righty, then!" Duncan hopped down to the ground, holding out his hand to help Alison down. _I hope they're not just going to snog somewhere,_ Teddy thought as he watched them head off.

"Think they're going somewhere to make out?" Kelly asked, making him give a short bark of laughter.

"I was thinking the exact same thing," he said. He jumped off the rock to the ground, landing with a somersault.

"Coach was right. You _are_ a showboat," Kelly said as she climbed down to stand next to him. She held out her hand and his heart skipped a beat as he took it. "Shall we?"

Teddy had a fleeting thought of asking if she was up for finding a secluded spot to kiss, but then Niyol flapped down next to them and shuffled along the ground in his awkward way, looking at Teddy expectantly. "Yeah, let's head over here and see what's across the way."

They walked along a trail toward a ridge, both of them drawing in a breath at the sight of the valley in front of them. Crowning the opposite ridge was a grouping of sharp-peaked rocks sticking up out of the surrounding greenery. "Wow," Kelly breathed, "that looks cool."

"Yeah it does," Teddy said absently. He squinted and turned his head to the side. "I've seen this …" he murmured, trying to remember why this scene seemed so familiar to him. Wanting the feeling of something in his hand, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the lump of iron pyrite Duncan and Alison had found earlier, turning it over in his fingers.

"Teddy! Look!" Kelly gasped and grabbed the chunk of metal out of his hand, holding it up in front of him. "Do you see?"

"What? Wait … oh my God." Teddy's eyes widened as he looked at the lump of iron pyrite Kelly held and the vista in front of him, the contours of the metal matching the spires of rock almost exactly. "That must be it!" He looked at her, captivated by her wide grin and before he fully realized what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed her soundly, catching her squeak of surprise.

A moment later, he sprang back from her, mortified at his presumption. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"It's okay!" she said, surprise still evident in her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand. "I just wasn't expecting it, I guess."

"Um, well, next time I'll warn you, okay?" Teddy said, giving her what he hoped was a debonair smile, gratified to see the color rise to her cheeks as she wrinkled her nose and grinned back at him.

"We need to get Alison and Duncan over here quick," she said, sticking two fingers into her mouth and letting loose the loudest whistle Teddy had ever heard, making Niyol flap his wings in alarm.

"Teddy Lupin! You have found Coyote's den? We will have the whisker soon?" he asked anxiously as Duncan and Alison came zipping over on their brooms.

"Well, I think we know where to look," Teddy said, holding up the iron pyrite and comparing its shape to the rocks.

"Was that you?" Duncan asked as he landed.

"No, that was Kelly. Come here and look at this." Teddy saw his friend nod appreciatively at Kelly and a surge of pride went through him.

"What am I looking at?" Duncan asked when he stood next to him.

"Look at the pyrite you found and then over there." Teddy gestured to the spires of rock, watching as Duncan looked between the two, eyes going round as realization dawned.

"Holy shit, they're the same! Alison, check this out!"

"Aww, it's like the rock is a miniature! That's awesome!" she said, clapping her hands in delight.

"You think that's where the entrance to the den is?" Duncan asked, squinting at the rock formation on the opposite ridge.

"I think so. Come on, let's get over there!"

* * *

Still Disillusioned, Harry stood on the ridge recently vacated by the foursome, hands in the pockets of his coat. The four figures along with Niyol were silhouetted against the steel-gray clouds as they flew toward the rock formation on the other side of the valley. "A whisker. What does a thunderbird want with one of Coyote's whiskers?" he mused out loud.

His phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket, smiling at the picture of Ginny and James that was displayed on the screen. "Yes, love?"

"Have you found them?" Ginny asked, her worry coming through loud and clear.

"I have—"

"Why aren't you back yet? Did you take Kelly home to her mum and dad? Is her dad very angry with Teddy?"

"Gin, they're fine," Harry said calmly as he tried to ease her worries.

"Are you at at Mt Diablo? What are they doing there?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. Niyol is here with them and—"

"Niyol? Hehewuti's son?"

"Yes. And it—"

"What's he doing there? What's he got Teddy mixed up in?"

"I'd love to tell you what I know, but you keep interrupting me," Harry said, smiling at her sigh. "For some reason they're looking for Coyote and they need to get a whisker from Him."

"What? _The_ Coyote?" Ginny said after a moment of silence. "I'm coming over there."

"No no no, you don't need to come. Stay there with Katie and James, all right?"

"But Harry! Coyote! He's dangerous and unpredictable!" Ginny said, fear for Teddy evident in her voice.

Harry looked toward the four figures silhouetted against the gray clouds, eyes narrowed. "I know He's unpredictable, but He's not usually malicious. They seem to have a pretty good handle on things, to be honest and I'm inclined to see where this goes," he said, wincing at Ginny's gasp.

"You can't be serious. Harry James Potter, you are out of your tree if you think—"

"Gin, love, if he makes full Auror, he'll be facing danger every day," Harry said gently, a tremor running through him at the thought.

Ginny sighed and Harry could all too easily visualize her exasperated expression. "I know, but that's years away. Maybe he'll change his mind."

"I know, love. I know." Harry took a deep breath and looked back up at the sky, noticing that it was starting to get dark. "Listen, I'm here and you know I'd never let anything happen to him, all right?"

"All right. Just … be safe. Keep them all safe."

"It's what I do."

* * *

As they approached the towering spires of rock, blessedly unmolested by the peregrine falcons, Teddy looked down and saw that the rock was riddled with little caves and holes. He flew close to Duncan and pointed down, shrugging at his friend's questioning look. "I guess we head down," Teddy said, angling down in a shallow dive.

The four of them landed neatly, including Alison and Teddy gave her a nod before turning to look at the myriad of caverns burrowed into the living rock. "So. Let's review," he said, holding out his right hand with his fingers extended, folding in one for each clue. "Niyol said he's sure Coyote's den is here at Mt Diablo, or Tuyshtak as the Ohlone call it. We found a drawing of a castle and a peregrine feather, so the Castle Rock section of the park seems obvious, right?"

"Right," Duncan echoed, leaning back on his heels to look up, eyes darting from cave to cave.

Teddy folded in a third finger. "And then we get here and you guys found that piece of iron pyrite and the shape of it uncannily matches this place." Another finger down, leaving only one finger up.

Kelly looked up, narrowing her eyes at the caves. "It sure does seem like we've been led here, doesn't it?"

"I don't see a red carpet, though, do you?" Teddy said, exasperation creeping into his voice.

"Teddy Lupin, what is—" Niyol began and Teddy cut him off with a shake of his head.

"Never mind. What I'm saying is that we've obviously been led to this spot, but which one is His den? Do we just sit out here and wait for Him to show up?"

"Maybe we have to call Him?" Alison said, turning around in a circle as she looked up at the sky.

"Do you have His phone number?" Alison stuck her tongue out at Kelly who stuck hers out in return.

"No, duh. I meant like if we have to do like a ritual or something, you know?"

Teddy frowned and looked to Niyol, perched on a nearby tree branch. "Any rituals you know? Is there a password or something? Open Sesame?"

"I do not know 'open sesame', Teddy Lupin. I know that if you find Coyote's den, He will appear and grant the finder a boon." His head and shoulders drooped down, making him look the very image of dejection. "Perhaps He has deemed my quest unworthy and will not allow Himself to be found."

Teddy patted Niyol gently on one massive wing, his heart going out to the young thunderbird. "Don't give up yet. We'll take a look in these caves and see if we see anything, all right?" He looked up at the sky once more, noticing that it was getting darker. "We'll have to be fast, though; we're losing daylight."

"Okay, we'll split it into quadrants," Duncan said, sketching glowing lines in the air with his wand. "Teddy, you take that group over there." He pointed to the caves that were furthest from the ground. "Kelly, those are yours, I'll do these and Alison gets the ones down here." He pointed at Niyol. "You keep the peregrines off our backs."

The other three were about to take off when Teddy held up his hand. "Just take a quick look inside the caves. Don't go in or go in too far, all right? Coyote's den isn't exactly on the same, um, plane as us and I don't want any of you to get lost." He grinned at Kelly. "I don't feel like explaining to your mum and dad that you somehow ended up in Flagstaff!"

The others murmured agreement and flew up to their designated areas. Teddy did a quick assessment of his area. _Awfully high up off the ground. I don't know how Coyote would even get in and out of these,_ he thought as he flew closer to a likely-looking cave. He peered in, enhancing his vision and using the lit tip of his wand, disappointed to see that it only went back about ten feet. It was full of pine needles and droppings, though, so he was pretty sure _something_ used it, but he wasn't sure what.

Teddy continued his searching, keeping an eye on Kelly as she searched her caves. _Nothing. None of these go anywhere. Unless there's a spell or something?_ He waved his wand for a Detect Magic just in case there was something hidden in the far back of the one he hovered in front of, desperately hoping for a blue glow. Disappointment crashed over him and he went to check his last one when he heard Alison give a shout.

"What? What is it? Do you see something?" he yelled as he flew down to her, nearly crashing into Niyol.

"Look! It's a little raccoon family! Awwww!" she said, pointing her lit wand at the agitated mother and chittering babies.

Teddy bit back a groan and scowled. "Any of you find anything?" The other three shook their heads as they backed away from the raccoon family. Teddy landed and sat down in the dirt with a thump, casting his broom aside as he lay back, staring up at the cloudy sky.

"Um, what do you want to do, man?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

"I want to find that den and get that whisker, but … I don't … see …" he said, trailing off as the waning afternoon sun broke through the clouds, sending down eerie crepuscular rays. His eyes roamed over the rock face towering over them and he gasped, sitting straight up. "Gold!"

"What?" Duncan asked sharply, looking up.

"Gold! See it? Hurry, before the sun goes away again!" Quick as a flash, Teddy grabbed his broom and was airborne, arrowing straight for a narrow crack in the granite. Surrounding the crack was the glittering shine of gold, something all of the other caves lacked.

"Oh my God, it is!" Kelly exclaimed, hovering next to him.

"Son of a bitch," Duncan breathed in amazement. "Is this it?"

"It has to be, doesn't it? Castle, falcons, gold, right?" Teddy felt like he was a teakettle about to boil over and he worked to keep from hyperventilating.

"But it's so small!" Alison said, "how could a coyote or anything else get in there?"

Teddy looked at the crack in the rock. It was roughly triangle-shaped, wider at the bottom than it was at the top and the bottom looked like it was maybe big enough for James to crawl into. They hadn't even counted it as a cave to be checked and he flew closer, poking the lit tip of his wand into the hole.

"Be careful!" Kelly warned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you see anything?" Duncan asked eagerly, almost pushing him out of the way.

"It looks like it goes way back," Teddy said, excitement surging through him. He sat up straight on his broom. "I'm going in."

"What? You can't fit in there!" Alison exclaimed.

"Teddy Lupin, if you go in, I will not be able to follow you," Niyol said, distress clear in his voice.

"What if you get lost?"

"I won't go in too far. Hold on." He flew down to the ground and went behind a tree, hiding himself from view. _Being a Metamorphmagus is great,_ he thought as he concentrated on making himself smaller, _but too bad I can't do my clothes at the same time!_ When he figured he was small enough to fit in the tiny cave entrance, he did a quick Shrinking Charm on his clothes and hopped back on his broom when he was decent again.

Kelly and Alison gasped in amazement when they saw his transformation and Teddy saw Duncan roll his eyes. "Tah-dah," he said, spreading his arms wide. Niyol swooped in for a closer look, eyeing him dubiously.

"Teddy Lupin, I knew you were a Changer, but I did not expect this," he said in his serious voice.

"Just keeping you on your toes." He saw Niyol look down at his impressive talons and open his beak, but Teddy went on. "Okay, so I'm going to go in there and I guess see what I see."

"Wait. What if you, um, end up on another plane or something?" Kelly asked. "What if you get stuck or something?"

"Oh, I know! Here." Duncan waved his wand and a rope appeared tied tightly around Teddy's diminished waist, the other end held firmly in Duncan's hand.

"Infinite Rope?" Teddy asked, hefting it in his own hand. It was sturdy and he knew impossible to break.

Duncan nodded and winked at him. That particular spell had come in handy on a few of their adventures. "Aw yeah."

Teddy turned back toward to opening in the rock, turning around at the touch of Kelly's hand on his shoulder. "Um, be careful, okay?"

The sun was still shining, lighting up her blonde hair like a halo and his throat constricted, making him swallow convulsively. He really wanted to kiss her, but he felt weird with her so much larger than he was at present, so he just nodded. "Yeah, I will."

* * *

 _Well I'll be,_ Harry thought wonderingly as he watched the kids cluster around the small opening in the rock. _Looks like they might have found it after all._ He saw Teddy fly down and land close to him and the stood very still. Disillusionment wasn't perfect, but Harry wasn't terribly worried about being seen given how distracted Teddy was at the moment.

With dawning realization, he watched as Teddy used his magic to make himself smaller. _He's going in. He's going to go into that cave and end up God knows where! Do I let him? God, he'd never forgive me._ Harry's instincts were on overdrive and he closed his eyes, focusing on remaining calm and resisting the impulse to summon Teddy's broom and give his godson a dressing down he'd never forget.

 _Like I told Gin, Coyote's generally not malicious and Kelly's right, they have pretty much been led here. Niyol wants a whisker for some damned reason and he's roped Teddy into getting it for him. Let's see how this plays out, no need to panic … yet._

Heart pounding, he watched as Teddy rejoined his friends and Duncan cast an Infinite Rope Charm around his godson's waist. _Okay, so they're at least using some caution._ High above him, his godson went into the small cave and Harry stood, wand at the ready.

* * *

Even though he was a lot smaller, Teddy still had to crouch down in the mouth of the cave, his wand casting a pale light against the rough rock walls. The floor was dry and covered with fine dirt and he turned around, giving the anxious faces clustered around the cave entrance a thumbs up.

"Don't go in too far, okay? You don't want to end up in Flagstaff or something," Kelly called out to him, making him smile.

"I'll be back before you know it!" _I hope._ He faced the tunnel and started forward, hoping that he'd be able to stand up straight soon. Enhancing his hearing and sight, he paid close attention to the walls, alert for any sounds or tunnel branches. The roof of the tunnel rose steadily until he could finally stand up straight, though it was much lower than his natural almost six-foot height.

The tunnel began to curve and he paused for a moment, making sure the rope was still secure around his waist. He looked back, the entrance of the tunnel a small smudge of light and he took a deep breath, moving forward once more. _It's a lot darker here on the other side of the curve. I hope I'm not walking toward a cliff or something._ He angled his wand light toward the ground, concentrating on it so hard that he nearly crashed into the solid stone wall that was suddenly in front of him.

"What? Oh, great," he groaned, seeing the two arches on either side of the stone wall he'd nearly whacked his head on. "Now what?" He stood contemplating the two arches. He dispelled his wand light, plunging himself into darkness so complete that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face even with his enhanced vision.

Disappointed that neither archway had any light coming from it, he relit his wand and stood in front of the arch on the left, straining to hear any faint sound and hearing nothing. Standing in front of the arch on the right, he had a faint sense of air blowing against his face. "I guess we'll go with this one," he said out loud, heading down the new tunnel. _Am I in Flagstaff yet? Or at least Winslow?_ The oppressive silence was making him uneasy and thinking about Winslow made him think of that Eagles song, so he started whistling Take It Easy, feeling a little bit better.

Continuing on, Teddy thought about Coyote and Niyol, hoping that he'd be able to convince Coyote to give him the whisker. _I know Niyol said that Coyote would grant the finder a boon, but He_ is _the Trickster, so I can't take that for granted. What if He challenges me to a duel or something? Does He duel? I don't even know if I could beat Him …_

Lost in his thoughts, Teddy gave a startled jump when he felt something brush up against his leg. "What—" he cried, looking down, mouth falling open in amazement at the coyote trotting next to him.


	11. Chapter 11

Teddy stopped dead in his tracks, staring down at the coyote looking back up at him, golden eyes alight with intelligence. He felt all of the small hairs on his body prickling and he shook his head, trying to clear his ears of the heavy pressure that filled the tunnel.

"Um …" Teddy croaked, throat completely dry.

Coyote sat down, wrapping His tail neatly around His feet. His black nose twitched, whiskers moving around and Teddy had the distinct impression that the animal was highly amused. As they stared at each other in the light of his wand, Teddy began to feel some of his initial shock subside and he shook his head. "I should have known you'd do something like this," he said, grinning when the coyote cocked His head to the side.

"And I have known that you would do something like this," Coyote said, His surprisingly deep voice causing vibrations inside of Teddy's head.

"Something like what? Listen, Niyol is the one that wants something from You. He came—"

"Yes, I know what Niyol would ask of me." Coyote gave a short yip, the animalness of it a sharp contrast to the human voice coming out of His mouth. "I knew that one would come knocking on My door one day. It's why I hid his egg."

"What? You tried to make Niyol not be … born?" Teddy asked, heart racing with unease.

Coyote's nose twitched and Teddy tried to calm himself, wondering if He could smell fear. "No. With all of the research you've done about me, Teddy Lupin, do you think I am _that_ kind of monster?"

Teddy looked at him, taking in the compact gray-brown furred body, golden eyes and sharp pointed ears. His tongue lolled out, giving him the distinct impression that Coyote was laughing at him. "Um, I guess not."

"I knew that Hehewuti would get someone to help her, just as I knew that you would be the one to come alone to seek me out."

"I'm not alone!" Teddy said, feeling the need to defend his choice. _I was the only one that could get in here!_

Coyote made a show of looking around the small circle of light provided by the wand. "I do not see anyone else here."

"My friends are outside, waiting for me."

"And what do you think they will do if you don't come back?"

A coldness that had nothing to do with the wintry temperature in the tunnel stole over Teddy, making his stomach clench. "I—"

"Will they go to Harry Potter and beg him to find you? Will Duncan go to his Auror father and confess this whole adventure? Will Alison think of you on graduation day?" Coyote's face took on a dark aspect and Teddy's breath came short. "Will Kelly cry over you?"

"They're just outside! I have—" Teddy reached for the rope tied around his waist, fingers closing on nothing. His heart thudded in his chest as he looked down. "Where did it go? I had a rope. Duncan has the other end!"

"I guess you'll have to find your own way out," Coyote said calmly as Teddy spun around frantically, hoping that the rope had just come untied and he hadn't noticed, that it was still snaking back to the entrance. There was no rope on the dry dirt floor of the tunnel, not even any sign of one having been dragged behind him; only his own footprints and those of Coyote.

"What did You do?" Breathing hard, Teddy pointed his wand at the creature in front of him. _Deity or not, he'd better not be fucking with me!_

Coyote twitched an eyebrow, long pink tongue lolling out again in that silent laughter. "Calm down, Teddy Lupin. You still have your rope. I was only … playing a trick."

Keeping his eyes and wand focused on Coyote, Teddy felt around his waist with his free hand, letting out a slow exhale of relief at the feeling of the rope tied around his waist. "Some trick," he said truculently. "Listen, Niyol said that if I found Your den You'd grant me a boon. I want one of Your whiskers."

Coyote sat up straighter, both eyebrows going up and his ears swiveling around as if trying to catch any ambient sounds. " _You_ want one of my whiskers or _Niyol_ wants one of my whiskers?"

"Well, Niyol wants it so he can give it to his girl thunderbird and they can mate or get married or whatever it is thunderbirds do."

"But Niyol isn't the one who found my den. Why should I give him anything?"

"You won't be giving the whisker to him, You'll be giving it to me. I found Your den, You give me the whisker. What I do with it isn't any concern of Yours." Teddy folded his arms against his chest, looking down at Coyote.

"So if you gave a child a dangerous item, say a box of matches, are you saying that what that child does with them isn't any concern of yours?"

Teddy opened his mouth and then stopped, sensing a trap. "Well, a box of matches is obviously dangerous, so it would be stupid to give one to a child."

"And a piece of a deity worshipped to this day isn't?" Coyote's eyes flicked to the wand in Teddy's hand. "You carry a piece of a magical creature with you and it makes you very dangerous indeed."

"This?" Teddy lifted his wand and looked at it. It didn't look particularly dangerous, especially under the innocent light of _Lumos_. "This isn't dangerous in and of itself."

"And neither is a box of matches, if it is handled properly. That doesn't take away the potential for danger." Teddy took a breath to argue further, but Coyote spoke again. "What is it _you_ want, Teddy Lupin?"

"Me? I want …" _to be an Auror,_ he finished silently, staring back at Coyote's golden eyes. They seemed to glow in the light of his wand and he leaned back against the rock wall, abruptly unsteady on his feet.

"Do you want your own car to drive? Something sporty and fast?" Gaze still held by Coyote's, Teddy shook his head. "No? Maybe a little bit of extra cash in your pocket?" Teddy opened his mouth to refuse Him, but Coyote's honeyed voice rolled over him, the sound as rich as His mesmerizing stare.

Coyote's ears perked up and He took on a sly expression, licking His lips. "Do you want that pretty girl out there to fall in love with you? I can make it happen. It's a little trick I've picked up over the years."

 _Kelly…._ Her name in his mind was like the chime of a silver bell sending an almost painful shock through his body and he stumbled away from the rock wall he'd been leaning against, wand pointed at Coyote. "No," he said, sounding like he hadn't spoken in hours. He cleared his throat and shook his head, breaking away from those golden eyes and feeling more like himself. "No. You leave her alone!"

Coyote affected a disdainful demeanor and looked away with a halfhearted shrug. "Making humans fall in love is too easy, anyway. Boring," he said. "You do want something, though. You want it with all your heart."

"I want to be an Auror," Teddy said, the words coming out in a rush before he could stop them. _Could He do that for me?_ Despite the agreement he and Harry had come to, he still had a lingering fear that he would put his foot down. _The waiver … I haven't told him that part yet. He could still refuse and then I guess I'd be taking that gap year after all._

"An Auror. Dangerous. Risking life and limb for your fellow man? I've never seen the point."

"It's important. Being an Auror is an important job."

"Ah, you wish to be important? I can make you the most important person in the world." Coyote grinned at him, his sharp teeth bright white in the light of the _Lumos_ spell and Teddy pushed away a creeping shiver.

"No. I don't want to be important," Teddy said, insulted at the very idea.

"Then why? Why put yourself at risk for what I understand is very middling pay?" Coyote cocked His head to the side, looking at Teddy as if he were a lizard He was thinking about smacking with His paw. "What is it about being an Auror that calls to you? Is it Harry? He could have been one of the greats, you know."

Teddy shook his head, focusing his skill on keeping the tears stinging his eyes unshed. He thought of the other offers Harry had dangled before him. _Magineer, Healer, law, business … none of those_ mean _anything to me._ "No. Well, not all of it. My mum … she was an Auror. Before she was killed."

"Nymphadora Tonks." Coyote nodded. "One whose time was cut very short indeed." He heaved a loud sigh and lay down, settling His chin on his paws. Feeling silly towering over Him, Teddy sat down in the dirt, leaning his back against the rough rock wall. "Tom Riddle tried to find me, you know. I had a wonderful time leading him on a merry chase, but he turned his attention elsewhere. To this day I wonder if I should have let him catch me. I wonder what he would have asked for?"

"Did You know my mum?" Teddy asked eagerly once he got over the shock of hearing Tom Riddle's name from Coyote.

"No, we never met. Everyone makes little ripples in the energy of the world, some more than others. Your father, too." Coyote's ears perked up and His tongue lolled out at Teddy again in that canine grin. "Would you like to be a werewolf like him? I can do it. I don't even need to bite you or anything."

"Um, no thanks." Teddy thought back to the unit Harry had done on werewolves in his freshman year. It was the most passionate he'd seen him in the classroom as he lectured, drilling into them that werewolves were people first and foremost and didn't deserve most of the fear and superstitions that were cast upon them. Teddy had been afraid that Harry would reveal to the class that his father had been a werewolf, but Harry hadn't breathed a word of it.

A thought occurred to Teddy and he sat straight up. "Coyote, could You bring my parents back?" he said in a rush, a hot flush of embarrassment heating his cheeks.

Coyote looked at him, golden eyes full of sadness. "No, Teddy Lupin. Once they have passed beyond the veil, I can do nothing."

It was the answer he'd been expecting, but disappointment still crashed through him and he relaxed back against the wall. "Could You have taken away the curse?"

"Yes."

"Would You have?"

"If it was what he truly wanted." Coyote yawned and set His head back on His paws, His ears relaxing. "Remus John Lupin lived with that curse for most of his life. The monster he became made him the man he was. The curse transformed the lives of his closest friends. If he hadn't been cursed, would Harry Potter be alive today?"

 _And if Harry weren't, would any of us be?_ Teddy thought of Voldemort's stain spreading over England and Europe until it crashed over North America like an enormous black tidal wave, destroying everything in its path. "That's why I want to be an Auror," he said. "No more Voldemorts, no more Harry Potters." _Or Teddy Lupins._

Coyote stood up, stretching and shaking His whole body until His fur fluffed out to make Him look nearly twice His size. "Well, we'd better get going, then," He said as he trotted off down the tunnel toward the entrance.

Teddy scrambled to his feet, beating the dirt off the seat of his jeans with his hands. "Where? Your den?"

"No," Coyote said, wrinkling His snout in amusement. "There hasn't been a human in My den since … well, never mind how long it's been or who it was. Your friends are waiting for you along with a very impatient thunderbird."

* * *

Harry blinked in surprise when Teddy appeared at the entrance of the cave. _He just went in … I guess he didn't find anything?_ He watched as the teenagers exclaimed in surprise as Duncan held Teddy's broom steady while his godson clambered onto it.

The kids were all chattering at once and Harry strained to make out what they were saying. _So, he did meet Coyote? Then where—_ His thoughts were interrupted when he sensed a heaviness in the air. He looked up at the sky, expecting to see black, swirling clouds getting ready to pour down rain, but nothing had changed. All of the small hairs on his body felt like they were standing up and his phoenix feather tattoo throbbed in time with his heart.

Led by Teddy, now back to his normal size, the four teenagers and the thunderbird landed at the base of the cliff and Harry held himself back from rushing forward, looking for the source of the magical disturbance he felt so keenly. He desperately wanted to spring into action and he had his wand in hand when he had his breath taken away by the sight of an enormous coyote trotting forward to meet his godson and his friends.

* * *

At the base of the cliff, Coyote strode out of the bushes and sat down, gazing calmly at them. A ray of light managed to break through the cloud cover and touch Him on the tips of His ears. Teddy shivered at the prickling sensation all along his skin, feeling like his ears were stopped up and he shook his head, trying to clear them. Next to him, Kelly sneezed three times in a row.

Teddy winced when he heard Alison gasp. "Awwwww, He's adorable!" she whispered, giving him the crazy impulse to giggle. Now that he saw Him in the muted sunlight outside of the tunnel, he had to admit that the creature in front of them did look adorable with His brushy tail wrapped neatly around His feet, black whiskers twitching along with His nose.

He felt Kelly clutching his arm tightly and he abruptly realized that he was back to his normal size. _How did He do that? I didn't feel anything!_ He'd never let on to his friends, but depending on what he was doing, changing his body could sometimes be downright uncomfortable.

"You were gone hardly any time at all," Kelly whispered, eyes glued to the deity sitting at attention in front of them, "did you meet Him at His den?"

"What are you talking about? I was in that tunnel for ages," Teddy said, glancing at his watch. He saw only about five minutes had passed and he frowned. "Um … well, maybe it _felt_ like longer than it was?"

"Teddy Lupin, you have the whisker now?" Niyol asked, swooping down to land on a nearby outcropping of rock, eyeing Coyote suspiciously. Coyote returned his look with one of disinterest and yawned, deliberately looking away.

"No, I asked for it, but He wouldn't give it to me."

"Coyote! We have found Your den and You are required to grant us a boon. We wish to have one of Your whiskers," Niyol said forcefully, fluffing up his feathers to make himself look larger.

Teddy held his breath as Coyote looked at the young thunderbird, disdain clear on His face. "Are you using the royal 'we', Niyol? Because as I recall, only this young man managed to attain the entrance to My den." Outside of the confines of the tunnel, Coyote's voice still sent vibrations all through Teddy's body, making him think of when Harry would take him to a concert and how the music would roll through him.

"The hole in the rock was too small and I could not fit!" Niyol protested, relaxing his feathers and looking more his normal, but still enormous, size.

"That is not My problem, then, is it?" Coyote looked at each of the four teenagers in turn and Teddy had the feeling that He was seeing more than their outward appearances. "You have all had a hand in locating My den and as custom dictates, you may ask something of Me. What boon would you ask Me to grant?"

Teddy heard a general shuffling of feet around him and he glanced around to his friends, wondering if any of them would actually ask for something. Coyote sat silently observing them, favoring them with His canine grin. "Come now, surely there is something you would want. Fame? Success? New clothes? Money?"

"Um, no sir," Duncan said, sounding like his voice was on the verge of breaking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Teddy told me about Niyol and I, um, I just wanted to help." He shrugged and gave Coyote his own grin. "I couldn't pass up an opportunity to meet You."

Coyote seemed to inflate at the frank admiration in Duncan's voice and He nodded, taking the regard as His due. Next to Duncan, Alison spoke up. "Um, can I touch you?"

Coyote's golden eyes lit up and He seemed to smile even wider, showing sharp white teeth. "Oh, brave girl to want to touch one such as I." He inclined His head at her and she hesitantly stepped forward, letting go of Duncan's hand. She stood before Him and carefully stretched out her hand, patting Him gently on top of His head.

"He's so soft!" she exclaimed as Coyote pushed His head against her hand, moving around so she would scratch His ears. Teddy watched, utterly amazed as the deity practically went to pieces underneath Alison's hands, going so far as to stand up so she could rake her fingers over His ribs, but stopping short of offering her His belly. As she worked up a storm of loose hair, Teddy's skin shivered and he sneezed, even though he knew he wasn't allergic to animals.

Alison gave Coyote a final pat and laughed as He shook His entire body and sat down, panting happily. When she turned back to him, Teddy saw that her blue eyes were practically glowing and he wondered if she would have any lasting effects from contact with the ancient trickster. She took Duncan's hand again and they put their heads together, whispering excitedly.

Dignity recovered, Coyote surveyed them again. "Anyone else wish to ask something of Me?" He asked, golden eyes settling on each of them in turn.

Out of the corner of his eye, Teddy saw Niyol open his beak, but he held up his hand. "Coyote, I would like to have one of Your whiskers," Teddy said, concentrating on keeping his voice even.

"Teddy Lupin, are you certain this is what you would ask of Me?" Coyote asked, His words having the ring of formality.

Teddy took a deep breath and swallowed. "Yes, sir. This is all I would ask of you."

Coyote looked at him for a long time, giving Teddy the feeling that He was somehow simultaneously disappointed with and proud of him before he finally nodded once. "Approach Me."

Kelly squeezed his arm tightly before letting go and Teddy walked forward, acutely aware of Kelly, Duncan, Alison and Niyol all watching him. Now that he was back to his regular size, he realized that Coyote was much larger than a normal coyote, His head well above Teddy's waist. He stood in front of the deity at a bit of a loss. "So … um … do I just …?"

"Choose wisely. You want to make sure you get a good one," Coyote said with a hint of a grin as He held His head still.

Teddy looked at the black whiskers clustered on Coyote's snout, noticing their shimmer in the waning sunlight. He pinched one in between his fingers and gave a pull, almost jumping at the sound of a bell as the whisker came away in his fingers. He looked around, but no one else seemed to have heard it.

"Done!" Coyote proclaimed. "Teddy Lupin, you have found the entrance to My den and as such I have granted you the boon you requested. When you leave this place, you will forget how to return." The feral grin returned. "I can't have you kids here every day bothering Me for whiskers and whatnot."

"Will we forget meeting you?" Kelly asked, taking his hand as Teddy stood next to her again, precious whisker clutched tightly in his other one.

"No. I would never allow you to forget meeting Me," Coyote said kindly as He stood up. "Perhaps you'll see me again one day." Teddy watched, spellbound, as Coyote simply walked into the surrounding underbrush, disappearing from sight in seconds.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Duncan said, eyes dancing with delight.

"That was pretty cool," Teddy said, squeezing Kelly's hand as he smiled at her, a tingle running through him at her responding smile.

"I can't believe we actually met a god." Alison's voice was full of wonder as she looked back up to the caves dotting the cliff above them.

"Stick with me and you'll go places," Duncan said, wrapping his arms around her and making her giggle.

"Teddy Lupin, you will give me the whisker now?" Niyol asked from his perch on the rock outcropping.

"Yeah, all right. It's yours. Or Yoki's?"

"Yes! I will give it to Yoki right away and she will build a nest that will stand for generations of thunderbirds."

Teddy held out the whisker, unsure of how Niyol planned to carry it to his lady thunderbird until he stretched out a foot, wickedly sharp talons shining. "Wait!" Kelly said when Niyol spread his wings.

"Yes, Kelly Taylor?"

Kelly looked at Teddy and licked her lips nervously. "Can I, um, can I have one of your feathers?"

Niyol looked at her, surprise evident on his usually stern face before finally nodding. He extended a huge wing and a single feather detached itself and floated down. It shone bronze and gold and Kelly caught it before it could hit the ground, stroking it reverently. "Thank you," she whispered, tucking the feather away in her coat pocket.

"Thank you for your help, Teddy Lupin. If you ever have need of me, call my name and I will hear you on the wind." The thunderbird spread his wings and gave a mighty flap, launching his body into the air with a thunderous boom.

The four teenagers looked up in the sky, watching as he became a tiny dot against the gray clouds. "Well, I guess that's it," Teddy said. "I guess we'd better get back. That movie is way over by now."

"We'll say we hung out in Japantown and got noodles or something," Duncan suggested.

"What about Katie?"

"Oh, man, I forgot about her. I guess we need to go back and get her."

"Well, let's get going then," Teddy said, turning back to where they'd left the brooms leaning against the cliff. "Hey, where did—" he said, sucking in a breath when he saw Harry leaning nonchalantly next to the brooms, arms crossed.

"Oh shit. We're boned," Duncan said, taking the words right out of Teddy's mouth.

* * *

 _You ridiculous boy. You crazy, brave, ridiculous boy,_ Harry thought as he watched his godson pluck a whisker from the muzzle of a god. _And Alison! My God!_ He'd nearly blown his cover when she approached Coyote and reached a hand out to touch Him. Heart in his throat, he held himself, half-ready to Apparate and grab the girl at the first sign of mischief. Like the rest of them, he found himself completely dumbfounded as she proceeded to give Coyote a very thorough rubdown, the magic in the air making his tattoo burn almost as if he were being Summoned.

 _Duncan didn't ask for anything. I thought sure he would ask for something like guaranteed acceptance into the Auror Academy,_ he thought, knowing that the boy ached to follow his father into the Aurors with his very core.

As Coyote took His leave from the group, Harry jerked in surprise when the old trickster's eyes met his, the mellow gold color filling his vision for an endless second. Harry sucked in a huge breath when He turned away, sighing quietly in relief as the throbbing ache in his tattoo gradually faded as He sidled into the underbrush, finally disappearing all together a few seconds later. _He knew I was here and didn't betray me. Interesting. I don't think I've ever felt a presence that strong before,_ he thought as he watched Teddy and his friends exclaim over the event. _Don't think I've ever been in the presence of a deity before …._ He pursed his lips as he thought, watching as Teddy gave Niyol the hard-won whisker.

The boom of the thunderbird taking off shook him out of his reverie and he glanced around, spying the brooms leaning against the cliff. Moving carefully, he went and stood next to them, making sure to lean casually against the rock wall. Choosing his moment, he dispelled the Disillusionment Charm just as Teddy turned to look for the brooms.

* * *

"Harry!" Teddy squeaked, wincing as his voice went up two octaves. Kelly clutched his hand even tighter and he grit his teeth against her strong grip. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Harry, um, what are you doing here?"

Harry didn't say anything, just continued looking at them and Teddy desperately searched his face for any hint as to how this was going to go. Digging his hand in his pocket, he came up with his phone, heart sinking at the text message displayed on the screen. "Coming to meet you," he muttered.

"A fine time to check your phone," Harry said, voice that sort of calm that Teddy had only heard a few times in his life.

"Mr Potter we—" Duncan said, interrupted when Harry scowled at him. Alison let out a quiet 'meep' and leaned closer to him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"You four are going to come with me. Now." Their brooms flew toward them, Teddy catching his on reflex and for a moment, he wondered how Harry was going to fly back to the school with them, feeling stupid when his godfather bent over and picked up a pine cone, gesturing for them to come closer.

Teddy traded a look with Duncan and took a deep breath, squeezing Kelly's hand reassuringly as he touched the pinecone, the familiar jerk behind the bellybutton sending him and his friends along with his supremely angry godfather back to the closest Apparation point near St Ambrose's. The walk back to the equipment room to return the brooms was uncomfortably silent and Teddy felt the spot right between his shoulder blades starting to burn with tension.

Once the brooms were safely locked away, Harry broke the silence. "Duncan, your sister is at my house. We will go to my house where you will pick her up and take her home."

"Yes, sir," Duncan said, looking down at his trainers.

"Alison, you may head home anytime you like."

"Yes, sir. I'd, um, I'd like to make sure Katie's okay," she said, giving Harry a shy smile.

Harry nodded and turned to Teddy. "Once Katie has been escorted home, you and Kelly are coming with me to explain to Kelly's father why she wasn't studying at Alison's like she told him she was going to be."

A swell of lightheadedness came over Teddy and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick right in front of everyone. Kelly gasped and put her hand over her mouth, eyes looking huge in her face. The vision of Mr Taylor's angry face swam before him and his gut roiled once more. He took a deep breath, fixing Coyote in his mind. _I just plucked a whisker from a god. I can face an angry father._


	12. Chapter 12

Completely drained, Teddy collapsed onto his bed, laying his arms across his eyes. He felt the soft weight of Stuart on his stomach, giant paws kneading at his chest and he patted the cat on his head. "Well, it's good to know that you still love me," he said, rubbing Stuart's ears to elicit a rumbling purr. "Not too sure about the other people in the house."

Immediately upon Harry Apparating them home, Teddy had been engulfed in a hug by Ginny and nearly had the breath squeezed out of him. "Thank goodness you're safe," she murmured, lips pressed against his cheek. A moment later, she had him at arm's length, brown eyes stormy.

"Just what do you think you were doing? You leave poor Katie alone in a movie theater to run off and do … I don't even understand what you ran off to do! But the point is that you left a twelve-year-old girl alone in a movie theater!" She shook her head at him and the disappointment on her face struck Teddy in his heart. "I thought we'd raised you better than that."

Teddy glanced over at Harry and saw he was going to get absolutely no help there. His godfather leaned against the breakfast bar, arms crossed and face implacable as Ginny let him have it before turning her ire on Duncan. "And you! She's your own sister! I would have thought you knew better." Duncan just stood there, open-mouthed and stunned as his mom-crush unloaded on him.

Harry's phone rang, momentarily silencing Ginny. Teddy winced as he heard Mr Taylor's angry words from across the room. "Yes. They're here. Yes. We'll be there shortly." He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. "Kelly, that was your dad. He's expecting you home soon."

"Yes, sir," Kelly said quietly, looking down at her hands as they twisted together nervously. She and Alison stood off to one side, trying their best to look invisible. Katie sat at the breakfast bar, taking everything in with her giant popcorn in her lap.

"Okay, um, I'm going to go, all right?" Alison said, waving to the room at large. She squeezed Kelly's arm. "Talk later?"

"Yeah." Kelly nodded and gave her a quavery smile as Alison Apparated out with loud _crack_.

"Duncan, take Katie home and let your dad know I'll be talking to him, yeah?"

"Yes, sir." Katie hopped off the barstool and slung her cat-shaped purse across her chest, still clutching her tub of popcorn.

"Thank you for having me, Mrs Potter. I like your cat," she said politely. "Let me know if you need me to babysit for James."

"You're very welcome, Katie. I'll definitely let you know," Ginny said, smiling warmly at the girl.

Duncan nudged Teddy in the shoulder and shrugged. "Later, man."

"Yeah. See you." Duncan and Katie disappeared amid powder and soot, leaving Teddy and Kelly with Harry and Ginny, both of whom were staring at them with their arms crossed. Teddy wanted to reach for Kelly's hand, but he didn't dare with the two adults staring holes through them.

"All right you two. Let's go," Harry said, holding out his hand. Just this once, Teddy wished that the airless squeezing of Apparation would go on forever and he wouldn't have to face Kelly's dad, but as usual, he didn't get his wish.

Almost as soon as they appeared on the Taylor's front porch, the door opened and Adam Taylor stood there, arms crossed, making his enormous biceps bulge. Teddy tried not to think about being strangled by those biceps as he forced himself to meet Mr Taylor's eyes, trying not to wince at the barely-contained fury in them.

"Kelly," he said shortly, opening the door wider and stepping aside. Ducking her head, Kelly stepped meekly in and Teddy had a glimpse of her mother hugging her before Mr Taylor filled the doorway once more.

Not sure what was expected of him, Teddy glanced at Harry who raised an eyebrow and nodded to Kelly's dad. Gathering his courage, he looked back at him. "I'm sorry I defied your orders and took your daughter out on a date," he said, deliberately taking the blame in the hopes that Kelly wouldn't be in as much trouble. "It, uh, won't happen again. Sir."

"You're damn right it won't," Mr Taylor said in a deep voice that sounded like he ate rocks for breakfast. "I never should have let her go to that dance. I'll have her off of that team as well."

Teddy nearly stepped forward and felt Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "No!" he protested, "You can't—"

"I'm her father, boy. You'd do well to remember that," he said and Harry squeezed his shoulder harder than he'd ever felt.

"Yes, sir," he said miserably, looking down at his feet. _Kelly, I'm so sorry! God, I've fucked everything up!_

Mr Taylor pointed a finger at him, making him look back up into his angry face. "And if I ever hear of you sniffing around my girl again, there'll be hell to pay."

"Adam, I hardly think threats are in order," Harry said mildly. "They go to the same school and will see each other every day."

"For now," Mr Taylor grunted and it was as if the ground had dropped out from under Teddy's feet. He was suddenly glad for Harry's steadying hand on his shoulder as it prevented him from stumbling backwards. Seemingly satisfied, Mr Taylor nodded and shut the door in their faces.

"Harry—" Teddy said, turning to his godfather, only to be silenced by a shake of his head. Hand still on his shoulder, Harry Apparated them back home.

Ginny had faithfully executed the lasagne Harry had started before he'd left to meet Archimedes, but as far as Teddy was concerned it may as well have been paste which was a shame because Harry's lasagne was usually a treat. He ate at the silent table only because he'd hardly eaten at all that day and excused himself to his room as soon as he'd choked down his last bite. Even James had been subdued and looked at Teddy with his big hazel eyes.

Teddy sighed and sat up, gathering Stuart into his lap. "Well, I've fucked everything up. Kelly's dad will probably get her off the Quidditch team. I'm pretty much grounded for the rest of my life, Harry and Ginny will never trust me again …" He sucked in a breath as a thought occurred to him. "The academy. Harry won't let me go. He'll say this is an example of how I don't have good judgement and would make a terrible Auror."

He desperately wanted to call Duncan and commiserate, but his phone and laptop had been banished to the lounge where they would stay for the foreseeable future. _I guess this gives me the perfect excuse to work on sending a message with my Patronus,_ he'd thought as he handed over the devices. "But what about homework?" he'd asked when he handed Harry his precious laptop.

"You'll do it in the lounge with me or Ginny," Harry had said, locking the lid of the computer shut with a drop of blood. Teddy's heart sunk at the thought of being watched like a hawk by his godparents while he did his schoolwork and not able to sneak in messages with Duncan.

"Maybe I can go to Coyote and ask Him to make this right," Teddy mused, staring at the posters on his walls without really seeing them. "Except … I don't really know how to get to His den or where it is." He saw the feather on his desk and he felt the barest tickle in his memory, but he couldn't put it together. "I'll ask Duncan. He always brags about his memory."

 _I hope that Yoki agreed to marry or mate or whatever Niyol after all of this,_ he thought glumly, lying back down on the bed. Stuart had tired of his attention and sat off to one side, delicately licking his back feet. Teddy watched him enviously. "I wish I were a cat right now. No pissed-off godparents, no worries about your future. All you care about is food, a clean litter box and a pretty lady cat."

Thinking of Stuart and his harem made him think of Kelly and his stomach plummeted at the thought of her being taken off of the team or made to change schools. _At least Harry went to bat for me when Mr Taylor was talking about me not talking to her at school. She probably hates me now._

He was in the middle of imagining how colorless life without Kelly at the same school would be when he heard a knock on his door. _Ugh, can I pretend I'm not here?_ "Come in," he said, moving back to a sitting position as Harry came into his room and closed the door, standing in front of it for a moment before sitting down on his desk chair.

 _This is horribly familiar,_ Teddy thought, remembering the last time Harry had sat in that chair after they'd had the terrible argument about his desire to follow in his mother's footsteps and become an Auror. This time, Stuart continued his bath instead of jumping up into Harry's lap. Picking up the Rubik's Cube at the foot of his bed, Teddy nervously twisted it into scattered colors while he waited for Harry to say something.

When he finally did, Teddy nearly dropped the puzzle. "Have I ever told you how Sirius died?" Harry asked, looking down at his clasped hands.

"What? Sirius Black? Your godfather? _That_ Sirius?" Teddy finally asked once he'd gotten over the shock.

"Yes, that Sirius." Harry looked up, the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Um, no, you haven't," Teddy said, his mind whirling with what Harry's long-dead godfather could possibly have to do with his current predicament.

"Well, it was my fifth year at Hogwarts and things were just awful. Dumbledore was gone, the Ministry was being taken over by Death Eaters and Voldemort was back." Harry was quiet for a moment and Teddy saw him looking at the scar on the back of his right hand.

"And nobody believed me. About Voldemort being back. They all said I was a nutter for believing it, but they weren't there at the graveyard or had their blood taken from them." Harry never talked about this stuff and Teddy was completely drawn in, hardly daring to breathe for fear of disturbing him from his recollections.

"But, I could see things, I could see his plans, see what he was doing." Harry briefly touched his old scar on his forehead, looking up at Teddy. "We had a sort of connection, from when he tried to kill me, yeah?" Teddy nodded, trying to think of what it must have been like to have someone so unspeakably evil sending Harry visions. _How did he stay sane?_

Harry was silent for several moments and Teddy cleared his throat. "So, um, did you tell anyone? About the … visions?"

"No. No, I didn't. Well, Ron and Hermione knew, but they knew everything or nearly so."

"Was there anyone you could have told? Um, my dad?"

"I could have told Sirius. He and my dad had enchanted a pair of mirrors to communicate and he gave me one. All I needed to do was use it and I could have told him everything."

Harry fell silent again and Teddy looked at him sitting there in his desk chair. Same untidy black hair, jeans and jumper that he'd been in when he'd surprised the hell out of him at Mt Diablo, but there was something a little bit different about him now and Teddy couldn't quite put his finger on it. "So why didn't you?" he finally asked.

"I thought I knew best," Harry said after a long sigh. "I thought I knew what was going on in my own head, thought it would give me an edge over Voldemort. I thought I knew better than everyone."

"So what happened?" Teddy asked, breathless with anticipation.

"Well, I had a vision that Sirius was being tortured by Voldemort," Harry said and Teddy sucked in a breath. _Tortured? How?_ he thought, mind full of visions of a body being twisted unnaturally, a loved one's face contorted in pain. "I felt I had to be the one who saved him. That I was the only one who could."

Teddy was silent, fiddling with the cube in his hands as he looked everywhere but at his godfather. He had never in his life imagined Harry telling him anything like this. All of his life, he'd looked up to Harry as the perfect role model and the epitome of coolness. The hero of the Wizarding world, but at the same time perfectly content to teach him to ride a bike.

Harry sighed and shook his head as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring down at the floor as he twisted his wedding ring around his finger. "So … ?" Teddy finally ventured.

"I screwed up. My friends refused to let me go by myself, so we all flew down to London because I was convinced that I could save Sirius from Voldemort's torture, but it was all a big lure. Voldemort had planted that vision in me and I was too pig-headed to realize it." Harry looked up and Teddy was shocked at the bleak expression on his face. "The trap was sprung and Sirius and the rest of the Order showed up to rescue our dumb arses."

"Was it a duel? That killed him?" Teddy asked hesitantly.

"Of a sort," Harry said after a moment, giving Teddy the feeling that he wasn't telling him everything. "The point is that my conviction that I was right led to the death of someone I loved very much." He looked back at Teddy and for the first time, he saw the worry for him that lurked in Harry's eyes. "When Katie said you'd gone to Mt Diablo … I didn't know what to think."

Teddy swallowed convulsively around the lump in his throat. "Um, well, Niyol came to me and asked me to help him out," he said, diffidently.

"He did, but how do you know what his motivations were?"

"He wanted the whisker for his lady thunderbird." _Didn't he? That's what he said, anyway._

Harry nodded, crossing his arms across his chest as he sat up straight. "That's what he told you. Did you ever meet her?"

"Um … no."

"And how do you know that maybe Coyote Himself didn't put the idea in his head? Or in her head?" Harry raised an eyebrow, bringing Teddy's attention to his old scar. "Not every magical creature is on your side. They have their own agendas and it's up to you to protect yourself."

Teddy frowned, turning over these thoughts in his head. _I really just took Niyol at face value when he asked for my help. I didn't really consider anything else. Maybe I shouldn't be an Auror; clearly, I'd be shit at it._ "But I did some research on Coyote. He's not like a bad guy or anything," he said defensively, trying to salvage some of his wounded pride.

"He's generally not malicious, no. But he has his own sense of humor. What if He'd thought it was a laugh to let you wander around for days or weeks before showing Himself to you? What if He decided to keep you as a companion until the end of your days? He wouldn't think of that as being bad, would He? Of course not. You're having adventures with Him. He'd keep you warm and fed, just like a treasured pet until maybe one day He tired of you and dropped you off who knows where," Harry said and Teddy swallowed, remembering Coyote telling him of how He'd led Tom Riddle on a merry chase.

"So we were pretty lucky today, then." _I don't feel so lucky right now._

"Extremely." Harry leaned forward, green eyes intense. "Listen, I told you about Sirius because I want you to know that I've been there, all right? You're a good person and you tend to see the good in others. It's one of the best things about you and one of the things I don't really want to see change in you. But an Auror can't trust so readily, yeah? Why didn't you come to me or Ginny?"

Teddy sighed, setting aside the cube and pulling Stuart into his lap. "I didn't want to tell you because … because you'd go all … _Harry Potter_ on it," he said, a hot flush of embarrassment rolling over him, making his skin prickle.

"All _Harry Potter?_ " Harry asked, a trace of amusement in his voice. "What does that mean?"

Shrugging, Teddy concentrated on petting the cat and not looking at his godfather. "I dunno. You'd take over and do everything and I wouldn't get to do anything. I mean, Niyol asked _me_ for help, not _you_." That lump was in his throat again and he took a deep breath. "And I thought that if I could do this, that it would prove to you that I'm good enough to be an Auror like my mum."

Harry was silent for so long, that Teddy thought he'd Apparated silently out of the room and he snuck a look up at him from under his fringe. He sat there on his desk chair, so still he looked like he was carved out of stone until he heaved a huge sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "I'm sorry," he said, surprising Teddy with the apology. "I'm sorry for making you feel like you aren't good enough or don't deserve to follow in your mother's footsteps. That my own fears made you take such a risk."

Hearing Harry apologize to him and admit that he had fears almost physically rocked Teddy backwards. _I've seen him literally jump off a cliff into the sea and fly up into the air on a kiteboard. He's not afraid of anything … is he?_ "No, you … I mean … I just," he said, groping for words before giving up and staring at Harry, wordlessly pleading with him to make everything the same as it had been before today.

They sat there, staring at each other until Harry finally cleared his throat and slapped his hands gently on his thighs. "So, uh, you're grounded," he said, his voice a little rough.

Teddy almost sighed in relief. Here was something he understood, maybe a little bit better than he should. "I figured that out when you took my laptop and phone away. How long?"

"That depends on your godmother. Don't expect any freedom until after Valentine's Day."

"Well, I doubt I'll have much to look forward to for Valentine's Day, anyway," Teddy said glumly, Mr Taylor's angry face swimming into his vision. "Do you think Kelly's dad will make her quit the team or change schools?"

"I don't think he'll go that far. Adam Taylor is a tough man, but I know he loves his children and listens to his wife. I think he'll come around and if he doesn't, well, I can have a few words with Coach Parker." Harry grinned at him, giving Teddy the feeling that things were returning to a sort of normal. "I know you have Snohomish right after the break and they're a tough team. You want your best Chasers in the game, don't you?"

Teddy's heart lifted at the prospect of Kelly not being made to leave the team and he grinned back at Harry, feeling like they were sharing a secret between the two of them. "Is Ginny super angry with me?"

"She's not pleased with you at the moment. She's really upset that you all left Katie there in the theater."

"Well, we couldn't take her. She wasn't even supposed to be there! Duncan said we were going to that dumb Night at the Museum and his mum and dad made him bring her!"

Harry held up his hands in front of him in a quelling gesture. "Hey, all right, all right. I get it, but you can't deny that leaving a twelve-year-old girl all alone in the middle of the City isn't the best idea, even if she is a witch."

"We couldn't think of what else to do with her." Teddy shrugged helplessly and rolled Stuart onto his back, scratching the cat's belly.

"Well, be that as it may, that's what Gin's the most pissed off about."

"I'll have to make it up to her. I'll probably be changing James's nappies until he's toilet-trained." Teddy fell silent as he continued petting the cat, contemplating his nappy-filled future until Harry shifted to stand up. "Hey, um …"

"Yes?" Harry asked, settling back down into the desk chair.

"Thanks for not … getting all shouty. I mean, I know that you would have been well within your rights, but … thanks. And can we not … tell Gran about any of this? Maybe just keep it between us?"

Harry raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "What's in it for me?"

"What?" Teddy asked, surprised by the question.

"I don't tell your gran that you left a young girl in a Muggle movie theater and ran off with a bunch of friends to get a whisker from a Native American deity. It sounds like something she really ought to know about," Harry said, one corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk.

"No, she really doesn't."

"I disagree. I think she has a right to know what sort of shenanigans you get up to on this side of the pond."

Teddy fought to keep a straight face and shook his head. "Do you really want her to question your parenting skills?"

Harry opened his mouth and paused, brow creasing in a frown. "Hm. I suppose you have a point with that one. Having the redoubtable Andromeda Tonks questioning my parenting skills is the last thing I need."

"I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding, then." Teddy crossed his own arms, helpless to stop the grin stealing across his face. Harry's own grin answered and soon they were laughing, Teddy nearly giddy with the release of tension that came with the laughter. Stuart jumped up out of his lap and raced around the room, adding his own yowls to the noise.

* * *

The next few days were like a slow torture to Teddy. The holidays didn't start until Thursday, so Teddy was forced to go to school and endure seeing Kelly from afar. This made things awkward when Kelly made pains at lunch on Monday to sit at the opposite end of the table from him instead of across from him as she usually did. Maria Cruz and Jenny Ishikawa gathered close to her, shooting Teddy dark looks as they put their heads together.

"So, uh, you're not talking to Kelly?" Duncan asked, cutting his eyes at the group of girls.

"Her dad made it known that it would be best if I didn't talk to her. Ever," Teddy said glumly, pushing his lunch aside.

"Really? That's harsh. What about Quidditch?"

Teddy shrugged and sighed. "Her dad threatened to get her off the team," he said in a low voice, careful to not let the other team members hear him.

"No way. He can't do that! Snohomish—"

"Shut up! Harry said he'd talk to Coach about it. Her dad even threatened that he'd make her change schools." He snuck a glance down the table, startled to see Kelly looking back at him and he shifted his eyes away. "Anyway, what about you? I know Harry sent a patronus to your dad."

"Oh, I'm fucked. No computer, no phone. Dad's got me doing extra chores during the break _and_ he's arranging some sort of volunteer work over the break. Says I need to learn the value of the 'chain of command' or I'll be paste when I get my first assignment." Duncan sighed and upended his bag of crisps into his mouth, crunching noisily. "Won't be able to see Alison until school starts again and Mom has suddenly forgotten every housekeeping spell she knows."

"Sorry, man."

Duncan shrugged. "Eh, whatever. It's just a few more months and we'll be at the academy, right?" His eyes widened and he gasped. "You _are_ still joining, right? Harry didn't …"

"No, he's not going to stop me from joining." _At least something went right last night,_ Teddy thought as he bumped fists with Duncan.

"Did you tell him about the waiver?"

"He already knew. Archimedes told him."

"Well, I guess that's one less unpleasant conversation you had to have."

"It's the little victories," Teddy agreed, sneaking one more glance at Kelly.

At the end of the day on Tuesday, he opened his locker and found a wallet-sized picture of him and Kelly at the dance. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at it, eyes moving over the snow falling gently behind them, her hair glinting gold in the photographer's perfect lighting. He hadn't really appreciated it at the time, but his waistcoat and tie really did match the green of her dress perfectly and he flushed as he remembered showing off and changing the color of his hair for her.

Turning it over, he read her message on the back. _Thank you for making my first dance so memorable._

 _—_ _Kelly_

 _xxo_

 _X? That means a kiss, right?_ Teddy thought, heart quickening as he glanced around, hoping she'd be lurking somewhere nearby, but the hallway was empty. He looked at the picture again, wincing at the dopey expression on his own face before tucking it into his chest pocket.

* * *

"Why didn't we send all this stuff ahead?" Teddy grumbled as he dragged two heavy wheeled suitcases along the uneven pavement toward the San Francisco Portkey Departures office.

"We did. This is all last-minute stuff and fragile items," Ginny said, pushing James in his pushchair. Teddy noticed she carried only her purse. "Oh, wait a minute! Harry, look! I want to get one of these for Mum and Dad! I've been on the lookout and everyone said they were sold out!"

Teddy sighed as Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him into the shop, calling out, "Watch James! We'll only be a minute!" He took a moment to make sure the suitcases and James's pushchair weren't blocking the pavement and leaned back against the brick wall of the shop. After a moment, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out the picture of him and Kelly at the dance, watching as he took her hand and she smiled up at him, the snow falling endlessly behind them.

"Cute baby," said a voice and Teddy looked away from the picture, seeing the blanket-wrapped man he'd chatted with at Aquatic Park squatting down in front of James, dangling a strip of leather strung with beads in front of the boy. James screeched in delight as he reached for it with a chubby hand.

Looking around for Harry or Ginny and not seeing them, Teddy moved closer and put his hand protectively on top of James's head, tucking the photo safely away. "Erm, thanks," he said, surprised to see the man in the magical section of San Francisco. _Harry always says not to make assumptions._

The man let James capture the beaded leather in his hand and let go, grinning as he crowed in delight. Standing up, he looked Teddy up and down, dark eyes sharp. "You look like you have the weight of the world on you. I might have a good skipping stone on me," he said, patting his hands over the pockets of his western-style shirt and jeans.

"No, it's okay. It's been a rough couple of days, but I'll be all right." He glanced down, noticing that the man was still barefoot. "D'you need any money for shoes? It's really cold out here."

The man smiled and shook his head. "Always ready to help those in need. Even those who don't ask."

"Um, Harry says that not everyone knows how to ask for help."

"Harry Potter is very wise," the man said, inclining his head. "Most of the time."

"How d'you—"

"I love this time of year," the man said, taking a deep breath and looking up at the clear blue sky. "Everyone is so happy and full of good cheer. It almost makes you think magic is real, doesn't it?"

"Um, do you know where you _are?_ " Teddy said, wondering if the barmy old fellow had found a back way into the magical thoroughfare.

"I know exactly where I am. And where I've been." The man looked back at him and grinned, teeth flashing white in the bright morning sun. "Do you, Teddy Lupin?"

Teddy looked at him and gripped the handle of James's pushchair as a wave of vertigo overcame him. The man's dark eyes flashed gold and his teeth looked very sharp. "What … who …" he said weakly as Coyote reached out a hand to steady him, Teddy's skin prickling at the touch.

"Be easy, Teddy Lupin," He said, His voice transporting Teddy back to that darkened tunnel where it had just been the two of them for an unknown amount of time. "I wanted to give you a gift before you left for your holiday."

"A what?" Teddy asked, struggling to reconcile Coyote the deity with the blanket-wrapped old man in front of him, the man that he'd met twice before. He looked down and saw He was holding something out to him. He took it, turning it over in his hands and realized that it was a chunk of what looked like gold but couldn't be as it would be worth several fortunes. The shape of it triggered a dim memory and Teddy struggled to bring it forward, but it was like trying to hold on to a dream. "Um, thanks?"

"It's only fool's gold, but it's still pretty." He looked up at him and grinned again. "Maybe it will lead you on an adventure one day!"

"I don't—" Teddy started, only to be interrupted by Coyote's hand touching him once more, this time on his forehead.

"Be well, Teddy Lupin. Yoki has built her nest and she and Niyol are mated. You have a good heart, one that does your parents proud. You have challenges ahead and you will need it," He said, no longer sounding like a slightly dotty old man. "Enjoy your holiday. All will be well."

Teddy concentrated on the feeling of the piece of metal in his hands as a wave of befuddlement came over him and he shook his head, frowning as he looked around. He looked down at James and saw him chewing on what looked like a leather thong strung with beads. "Where did you get that?" he asked, gently pulling it away from him and looking at it. "And where did this come from?" The surface of the fool's gold shone back at him and he shrugged, tucking it and the string of beads in his pocket just as Ginny and Harry came out of the shop.

"Sorry that took so long!" Ginny said, holding the door open for Harry who was now carrying two very large shopping bags. "I had to use my powers of persuasion. Can you believe the shopkeeper said all of these were on reserve?" She took control of James's pushchair and headed off toward the Portkey Office, still blissfully unencumbered by any packages or luggage.

"All right?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow as Teddy continued to stand still, bemusedly watching Ginny sail off into the crowd.

"Yeah, great. We'd better get going or Ginny's going to leave us here!" He grabbed onto the handles of the rolling suitcases, his heart feeling lighter than it had the last few days. _Maybe Kelly's dad will have cooled off by New Year's Day and we'll be able to talk to each other again. After all, miracles_ do _happen._


End file.
